The Central Electricity Authority projects an energy storage requirement of 60. 2 GWh by 2030, which can be met via Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) or Pumped Storage Projects (PSP).
India's energy storage requirement, which is projected to be 60.6 GW/341.2 GWh by 20302, can either be met by Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) or Pumped Storage Projects (PSP). In the FY 2024-25 union budget speech, the finance minister signalled that an energy storage policy would be issued to promote the construction of PSPs in the country3.
The technical system characteristics of the Indian power system are favorable for energy storage to reduce operating cost and improve system reliability. Storage can provide energy arbitrage, ancillary services, and potentially defer transmission investments, but existing policy and regulatory barriers may limit these opportunities.
How can Indian policymakers broaden the role of energy storage?
If Indian policymakers want to broaden the role of energy storage in the power system, an important first step is to include energy storage in national energy policies and programs.
What is the status of pumped storage projects in India?
The status of pumped storage projects in India Energy storage is critical towards ensuring grid reliability, security, and cost optimisation given India's growing share of renewable energy in its power purchase mix.
At the heart of this momentum is the strategic push by the Government of India and various state authorities, backed by institutions like SECI, NTPC, and SJVN, to advance energy storage solutions. A landmark initiative includes the approval of Viability Gap Funding for 13,200 MWh of battery energy storage systems by 2030-31.
Are energy storage systems necessary to run India's power system efficiently?
Energy storage systems have been acknowledged as necessary to run the Indian power system efficiently in the future, as confirmed in a recent analysis performed by the IEA for three of the states identified in this review work (i.e. Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka ).