Distributed Storage

Iola Hughes, Head of Research at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, tells ESS News that 2026 is set to be another strong year for BESS, with forecast additions exceeding 450 GWh and no material supply constraints in sight. Meanwhile, the initial impact of rising lithium prices is already visible at the cell level, but the full effect has yet to ripple through to system pricing.

GoodEnough Energy has commissioned a 7 GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) factory in Noida, marking the largest such facility in India. The company plans to expand the facility’s capacity from 7 GWh to over 25 GWh over the next three years.

Egypt’s Kemet has signed three agreements with Chinese companies over the last week, covering plans for a 5 GW solar cell complex, a 5 GWh battery energy storage factory and Egypt’s first solar inverter factory.

Energy storage for homes—anchored by hybrid inverter systems—will lead the next phase of solar growth in India. Not as an upgrade, but as a necessity for a nation building toward energy independence by 2047.

The federal government has unveiled new details of its plan to create a $1.2 billion critical mineral reserve. Three minerals will initially be the focus: antimony, gallium and rare earths (a group of 17 different elements).

A new generation of sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery cells has been launched as an alternative to the virtual monopoly of lithium-ion (Li-ion). Although the technology is unlikely to displace significant Li-ion market share, recent improvements make Na-ion a viable solution for certain niche applications, with potential for wider usage if cost becomes competitive.

The four-day Summit will focus on the entire power value chain, including power generation (with emphasis on clean energy systems such as solar, wind, hydro, green hydrogen, etc.), transmission and distribution, energy storage, and energy efficiency solutions.

Elcogen, a European developer of solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysers, has announced its expansion into India and the wider Asia-Pacific region with the appointment of Anil Srikar Pavuluri as business development director for the region.

Only around 50% of standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) projects analyzed in India demonstrate positive project economics under modeled assumptions, according to Mercom India Research’s newly released LCOS and Bidding Trends in Indian Energy Storage Projects report. The projects assessed were auctioned between July and November 2025.

Every additional EV, wind turbine, transmission line, or storage system intensifies pressure on supply chains that are already concentrated and geopolitically sensitive. Competing solely on mining is neither sufficient nor sustainable.