New Delhi: As India accelerates its renewable energy and bioenergy transition, the country will need more than 60 GW of energy storage capacity by 2030 to maintain grid stability and meet rising electricity demand, according to a report by the All India Discoms Association and Rocky Mountain Institute.
The report said the growing share of variable renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power is creating a stronger need for energy storage solutions to ensure grid stability, reliability and cost efficiency, ANI reported.
India has set a target of meeting 50 percent of its installed electricity generation capacity through non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 as part of its climate commitments. According to the report, increasing electricity consumption and higher peak demand will make energy storage systems essential for balancing supply and demand.
Battery Energy Storage Systems were identified as a key solution due to falling global battery prices and improvements in storage technology. BESS systems store electricity generated from renewable and conventional sources in rechargeable batteries, allowing power to be supplied during periods of peak demand or grid disruptions.
The report noted that battery storage systems can support grid flexibility, improve reliability and provide ancillary services while also strengthening transmission and distribution networks. In highly populated cities such as Delhi, where electricity infrastructure faces congestion and rising demand, local battery storage projects could help reduce the need for expensive upgrades to distribution systems, according to ANI.
The study also highlighted the need for stronger policy implementation and clearer regulations to accelerate deployment of storage projects. While the Government of India has already introduced several policy and regulatory measures to promote energy storage, the report said further steps are required to make the framework more effective.
According to the report, existing regulatory systems are not fully prepared to measure the full benefits of storage technologies, including flexibility and reliability support. It called for greater regulatory clarity for stakeholders such as power regulators, distribution companies, load dispatch centres, project developers, operators and local agencies including fire departments.
The report further stressed the importance of developing clear roadmaps that would allow battery storage projects to provide services beyond electricity price management, including grid support, resource adequacy and reduction in infrastructure investment costs.
It also warned that rising electricity demand and growing renewable energy integration could increase the risk of grid instability, strengthening the need for fast and efficient ancillary services that battery storage systems can provide.
