Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

India’s journey in the large scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for 1000 MWhourproject

October 20, 2021

The government has granted the go-ahead to invite expressions of interest for a pilot project to establish a 1000 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

The government has granted the go-ahead to invite expressions of interest for a pilot project to establish a 1000 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). This is a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Power, who have been working together to develop a road map for the country’s energy storage system installation. It is critical that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s ambitious aim of attaining 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030 is adequately supported by the installation of energy storage devices (battery energy storage system, hydro pump storage plants etc.).

SECI, a CPSU under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has issued a request for expressions of interest for the acquisition of 1000 MWh BESS. This will be made available alongside the RFS bid document and a draught complete guideline for the purchase and use of BESS as a component of generating, transmission, and distribution assets, as well as all ancillary services. This will be discussed at the pre-bid conference on the 28th of October 2021 at 4 p.m.

The final RFS document, along with the final comprehensive guidelines for procurement and utilisation of BESS as a part of generation, transmission, and distribution assets, as well as all ancillary services, will be floated in the first week of November 2021, based on suggestions and feedback from various stakeholders. India intends to deploy energy storage systems in the future in the following business cases:— Renewable energy combined with energy storage systems. To maximise the usage of transmission systems and increase grid stability, as well as to save money on transmission infrastructure expansion, an energy storage system as a grid element is being considered.