Powering Progress: Batteries for Discoms

A Market Motion Report on Accelerating Battery Power Storage in India

India’s energy system is shifting to a brand new part as common electrical energy entry is achieved, financial development continues to drive electrical energy demand, and over 125 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power assets have been deployed. Constructing out ample power storage shall be important for India’s grid to efficiently combine growing technology from renewable assets and to fulfill future load calls for. Reaching a dependable, resilient, and versatile grid would require a projected deployment of roughly 60 GW of power storage, 42 GW (208 GWh) of which shall be equipped by battery power storage system (BESS) capability by 2030.

The Authorities of India has taken a number of coverage steps laying the groundwork for an enabling atmosphere for power storage. These insurance policies have included defining power storage methods, extending key renewable power generator advantages to power storage belongings, offering subsidies, supporting market improvement, and setting procurement targets. The Nationwide Framework for Selling Power Storage Techniques, launched by the Ministry of Energy in August 2023, particulars these insurance policies and represents a step in the direction of making a complete nationwide roadmap for accelerating storage improvement within the coming years. Establishing the total worth streams for BESS would require India’s energy system stakeholders to operationalize the nationwide framework — shifting from nationwide tips to accelerated adoption, planning, and integration of BESS tasks throughout the ability system.

The Powering Progress: Batteries for Discoms report explores the market alternative for front-of-meter BESS inside India, with an emphasis on the ability distribution sector and distribution firms (Discoms). Distribution-located storage (DLS) can contribute to the duties of Discoms by offering advantages when it comes to distribution system capability deferral on the substation stage, significantly in dense city areas experiencing peak load will increase the place there may be restricted house to broaden the bodily footprint of the distribution system. DLS also can meet Discoms’ portfolio wants by offering useful resource adequacy worth and minimizing Deviation Settlement Mechanism penalties and voltage help. BESS can meet grid balancing wants by collaborating in wholesale markets akin to power arbitrage and ancillary companies.

At current, many of those worth streams are usually not totally monetizable. Whereas the long-term worth propositions may very well be favorable to a Discom investing in DLS (as in contrast with different alternate options which will improve general system prices), the lack to precisely assess future income streams is inhibiting mission approval. Moreover, inadequate institutional data of tips on how to assess BESS tasks is slowing down state electrical energy regulatory commissions (SERCs) in approving DLS proposals. To make sure speedy deployment of battery storage to fulfill system wants as prices decline, it’s important that stakeholders, together with Discoms and regulators, are knowledgeable of BESS worth and have methods to successfully procure and make the most of storage applied sciences.

Exhibit 1: Present Financial Worth Hole and Levers to Cut back It for Illustrative 10 MW (20 MWh) BESS

As India shifts from bettering electrical energy entry to bettering high quality of electrical energy service and reliability, new regulatory frameworks and enterprise fashions must be developed and applied to help these wants. Discoms have a singular alternative to play a job in integrating BESS into their portfolios. These actions are the following steps in bettering the circumstances for deploying progressive know-how options that may assist India turn into a worldwide chief, efficiently combine renewables to fulfill rising demand, and supply a mannequin of power transition to the world.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT | 2023

By Benny Bertagnini, Sonika Choudhary, Elizabeth Healy, Umang Maheshwari, Jagabanta Ningthoujam, Sakhi Shah, Clay Stranger

Initially printed on RMI.