Utility Scale Storage

New rules from Mexico’s Secretaría de Energía require battery energy storage systems (BESS) to submit social impact assessments for the first time, with stricter obligations above 250 MWh.

US-based ESS Tech has acquired the assets and intellectual property of Germany’s VoltStorage GmbH to strengthen its long-duration energy storage (LDES) portfolio and combine two iron-based flow battery technologies.

Suzlon has formed a Group Executive Council (GEC), elevated JP Chalasani to the GEC, and appointed a new group CEO to drive its business transformation from a wind energy solutions provider to a full-stack renewable energy solutions conglomerate.

BloombergNEF global report finds corporate clean energy procurement fell in 2025 for first time in nine years amid negative pricing and policy uncertainty. Big Tech leads procurement as number of cPPA offtakers halved in the United States. Solar remains the top generating technology for cPPAs.

A new report by IEEFA and Ember finds that India’s electricity transition is unfolding differently across states, shaped by variations in resource endowments, development pathways, and institutional capacities. While some states are already leading in renewable energy deployment and grid readiness, others are building momentum, presenting significant opportunities for accelerated progress through targeted, state-specific policy interventions.

The TEXMiN Foundation, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, has signed an MoU with GIREDMET State Research and Design Institute of Rare Metal Industry, Russia, to collaborate on rare earth processing, critical minerals, advanced materials, and translational research across the mining value chain. The partnership will also focus on hydrometallurgical recycling technologies for lithium-ion batteries to recover valuable metals.

The global capacity of utility-scale batteries increased more than 12-fold between 2020 and 2024 to 124 GW, while average battery costs fell 58% over the period, according to the Electricity 2026 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Arun Unni, Executive Vice President and Business Head – New Energy & Head of Strategy at Thermax, speaks to pv magazine about the evolving green hydrogen market, electrolysis economics, and the company’s ambitions in this space through global technology tie-ups. He also discusses the emerging carbon credit trading system and new opportunities for Thermax in biomass, sustainable fuels, and round-the-clock renewable energy solutions.

The number of operational battery gigafactories will increase significantly, with more than 30 manufacturing sites expected to be in operation by 2030, targeting a total production capacity exceeding 290 GWh. However, challenges such as raw material and skilled labor shortages, insufficient R&D investment, and a lack of long-term strategic planning remain.

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet has launched the India Grids of the Future Accelerator platform to modernize power distribution, integrate renewable energy and storage, and prepare India’s grids for rapid demand growth.