Utility Scale Storage

NTPC has invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the development of utility-scale projects for compressed air energy storage, including liquid air energy storage and other advanced compressed air-based long-duration energy storage systems.

AM Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Invest UP, the Government of Uttar Pradesh, to develop a 1 GW high-performance computing (HPC) hub, backed by renewable energy, to serve global AI workloads. The project will entail an investment of around $25 billion.

Kuldeep Gupta-led ChemVolt Global has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to establish a 5 GWh lithium-ion cell manufacturing gigafactory in the state, with a planned investment of INR 2,500 crore.

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.

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).

The share of thermal power in India’s electricity generation is expected to fall below 70% next fiscal, driven by slower growth in power demand and a sharp rise in renewable energy (RE) generation, according to Crisil Ratings.

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.

New orders of INR 3,086 crore in Q3 and a robust pipeline for Q4 gives the company the confidence to revise its order booking guidance to over INR 11,000 crore this fiscal.