Utility Scale Storage

Low-cost batteries and novel perovskite materials are among the topics selected for joint research and development.

The lithium battery assembly facility at Okhla, New Delhi, would initially produce batteries for energy storage in residential, commercial and industrial sectors, and for electric mobility applications. The plan is to eventually cater to critical applications like telecom and healthcare as well. 

The latest project is another African opportunity for the India-based EPC player after successfully commissioning Nigeria’s first solar-plus-storage hybrid power plant, which is also Africa’s largest battery energy storage system.

India is in mission mode on researching different aspects of the hydrogen economy, including hydrogen production, storage and utilization for stationary, power generation and transport applications. The need is to demonstrate the scaled versions at a faster rate. 

A new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (Ieefa) and JMK Research estimates India to have about 11.6 GW of operational wind-solar hybrid capacity by 2023.

The Colorado-based firm has set up an office in Bengaluru to deliver consulting and technical expertise to local developers and investors in solar, wind and hybrid projects, including energy storage.

Researchers have sounded the alarm. If no serious efforts are made on second-life battery use, recycling and vehicle-to-grid applications, decarbonization efforts may hit the buffers a lot sooner than expected.

The U.S. based researchers said linking solar with hydro in a full hybrid system configuration may result – at best – in the deployment of 7,593 GW for an estimated annual power generation of 10,616 TWh and a 20% reservoir coverage. And combining solar with hydro in this way brings further benefits, including improved system operation at different time scales, more opportunities for storage thanks to pumped hydro, increased utilization rates of transmission lines, reduced PV curtailment, and lower interconnection costs and water evaporation.

The ground-mounted, grid-connected project—to be developed in turnkey mode—shall be awarded through international competitive bidding followed by reverse auction. Bidding closes on October 27.

The region could, by 2050, cut greenhouse gas emissions from power, heat, transport and desalination which are expected to add up to more than 825 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent this year. Such a transition could be perfectly possible, technically and financially.