Energy Storage

LNJ Bhilwara, a diversified business group with presence in graphite electrode manufacturing, has formed a joint venture with Pune-based Replus Engitech to create lithium battery solutions for both e-mobility and stationary applications. The JV aims to have 1 GWh capacity operational in Pune by mid-2022 and eventually scale it to 5 GWh by 2024. 

Electricity bill payers in nations as diverse as China, India, Germany, and Greece should be aware new solar projects can now generate electricity cheaper for them than legacy coal and gas-fired plants.

The State-run power producer has more than 65 GW of installed capacity comprising gas, coal, hydro, and renewable energy based power stations.

The diversified business group will invest over INR 60,000 crore ((US$ 8.1 billion) over the next three years to build Giga factories for solar, energy storage, electrolyzers, and fuel cells, respectively, to create a fully integrated, end-to-end renewables energy ecosystem. Additional INR 15,000 crore (US$ 2 billion) is planned to create a value chain, partnerships, and future technologies.

If the three record-busting low solar price tariffs recorded in the Middle East in the past 18 months are to be believed, renewables-powered hydrogen in prime sites in the region could already compete with gas-plus-CCS production, according to IRENA. Has the Gulf discovered the new petrol?

The power ministry has announced that the exemption on grid charges is now available to solar and wind projects to be commissioned up to June 30, 2025. The waiver is also allowed for pumped-hydro storage and battery energy storage system projects.

An international research team has designed a residential solar-plus-storage system based on gravity. The system was built with a solar power generator, a bulk booster charge controller, an inverter, a solenoid device, a deep cycle battery, a pulley block, a geared motor, a microcontroller, and wire ropes. Its creators said the system is ideal for regions with high solar radiation. They found that, due to its high electrical requirements, the system needs to rely on high-power solar modules with an output of over 500 W.

Ruchi Gupta is a research fellow at the University of Geneva’s Institute for Environmental Sciences. She focuses on how flexibility options, such as sector coupling with hydrogen production, can support renewable energy integration and decarbonize a wide range of sectors.

JSW Steel will bring industry majors and the government together for hydrogen commercialization in the steel and cement sectors. CSIR-National Chemical Lab would work closely with the private sector on hydrogen development projects. Scottish Development International (SDI) brings the expertise from the implementation of large-scale hydrogen projects in Scotland.

The state-run power company wants to explore the feasibility of using hydrogen instead of diesel for back-up power and micro-grid application.