NEW DELHI: India is considering mandatory battery storage for new solar and onshore wind projects from July 2027 to improve the ability of the power grid to store and dispatch renewable electricity when required, Reuters reported.
Under draft regulations prepared by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), all new solar and onshore wind projects commissioned from July 1, 2027, would be required to install battery storage equivalent to at least 10% of their generating capacity, with a minimum storage duration of two hours.
The requirement would become more stringent from July 2029. Projects commissioned after July 1, 2029, would need to provide at least four hours of storage while retaining the 10% capacity requirement.
The proposal comes as India rapidly expands its renewable energy capacity and faces increasing challenges in managing fluctuations in solar and wind generation. Battery energy storage systems can absorb excess electricity generated during periods of high renewable output and release it when demand rises, helping reduce renewable power curtailment.
India, the world’s third-largest solar power generator, curtailed nearly 14% of its solar generation between April and June amid surplus daytime electricity and constraints in transmission infrastructure.
The proposed rules also seek to make grid-forming inverter capabilities mandatory for clean energy projects commissioned after July 2027.
Grid-forming inverters can help maintain grid voltage and frequency stability without relying entirely on conventional generation sources. Their importance is expected to increase as the share of solar and wind power in India’s electricity mix continues to rise.
The proposed storage and grid-support requirements are aimed at improving the reliability of renewable power while enabling greater integration of variable solar and wind generation into the national grid.
