Utility Scale Storage

The selected party will provide funding support of Rs 4 crore by way of design and development of machinery for lithium- and sodium-ion battery cell manufacturing. September 30 is the deadline to submit the interest.  

International thinktank IEEFA says there are 50 viable green hydrogen projects under development with an estimated renewable energy capacity of 50 GW and the potential to produce 4 million tonnes of the fuel annually.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have identified sites where hydrogen could be produced via PV electrolysis at prices ranging from $1.90/kg to $4.20/kg in the United States by the end of the decade.

Hyderabad-based RE developer Greenko Energies, which is developing over 40 GWh of pumped hydro storage projects in India, has partnered with NTPC to develop round-the-clock power supply solutions by integrating renewable energy sources and pumped storage.

Mitesh Patel, Renewables Director-Asia, US-headquartered EPC player Black & Veatch, speaks to pv magazine about the key trends driving the solar market, especially in Southeast Asia, and strategies to improve the bankability of PV projects.

The coal tar derivates company has commissioned a 5000-tonne per annum facility to manufacture synthetic graphite anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. It plans to invest US$ 70 million (Rs 520 crore) over the next five years to increase this capacity to 50,000 tonnes.

The state-owned electronics manufacturer has signed a memorandum of understanding for technology transfer with Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of Indian Space Research Organisation.

Analyst IHS Markit has predicted storage will rebound this year following its first year-on-year decline in 2019. The technology is being rolled out at pace despite Covid-19 with state-level policies set to keep the US the global capital for the next five years.

US-based esVolta will deploy the Edison Analytics software platform across its battery energy storage projects in North America. The software is expected to result in savings of $450,000 annually for esVolta by reducing excess battery degradation through improved heating and discharge management. 

Companies investing in battery energy storage have historically relied on trust in the major brands supplying the batteries and complete systems. However, with the absence of international manufacturing quality standards, increasing price pressure on major brands, and the proliferation of low-cost manufacturers, buyers and investors are being forced to address quality risks with batteries. Ian Gregory and Benjamin Sternkopf of PI Berlin discuss the need for independent quality assessment in energy storage.