Central Electricity Authority aims to minimise intermittency issues and support the country’s target of achieving 500 GW of renewable power generation by 2030. This development highlights a significant push toward ensuring the stability and reliability of India’s power grid as the country accelerates its renewable energy capacity. By integrating energy storage systems with upcoming solar projects, India is addressing two key issues: intermittency of solar power (since solar generation is only available during daylight hours) and the need for grid stability as renewable energy penetration increases.
The inclusion of a two-hour energy storage system equivalent to 10% of the installed solar capacity will help provide backup power during non-sunny hours and mitigate peak demand periods. It’s also aimed at addressing the challenge of intermittency associated with renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which are not available consistently throughout the day or year.
With India aiming to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based power by 2030, energy storage plays a crucial role in making this goal feasible while ensuring that the grid remains stable and reliable despite the higher share of variable renewable power. Additionally, the idea of mandating storage systems for rooftop solar installations could improve energy reliability on the consumer end.
The figures mentioned suggest a significant scaling up of energy storage in India, with an expected 14 GW/28 GWh to be installed by 2030. This is in line with the country’s long-term plan to integrate substantial amounts of renewable energy (solar and wind) into the grid while maintaining supply reliability.
Given the current storage capacity of 4.86 GW, the roadmap to achieving these ambitious storage goals will likely involve both pumped storage projects (PSP) and battery energy storage systems (BESS), with each playing a role in addressing different grid challenges.
In essence, this strategy represents a forward-thinking approach to ensure that India’s renewable energy ambitions don’t come at the cost of grid stability, paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.
