Renewable surge strains the grid as storage strengthens stability

The CEA mandates co-located ESS (approx. 2 hours) for new solar projects, aiming to reach 60 GW of storage by FY 2032 (including 42 GW of BESS and 19 GW of pumped hydro).

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The transition to renewable energy generation has led to variability issues due to intermittent generation, causing challenges to grid stability and reliability. Integrating battery storage and pumped storage is an established method that provides grid services beyond merely storing excess energy and discharging during periods of deficiency. This integration can facilitate frequency and voltage regulation, peak shaving, and energy arbitrage. Pumped hydro is mainly deployed for long-duration energy storage. As more renewables are integrated, the grid system's inertia decreases. Pumped storage can provide the necessary inertia, thus enabling further integration of renewables into the grid. The government is pushing for Green Energy Corridors to make the grid reliable.

Technological innovations