Utility Scale Storage

The US electric car manufacturer is reportedly shifting to cobalt-free lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for its utility-scale battery.

A new report says the Indian States must develop plans to incentivize investments into the deployment of utility-scale battery storage—just as they did for solar. 

Graphite’s pivotal role in electric-vehicle battery technology is coming under increasing scrutiny. Graphite is almost exclusively produced in China, and while the processing of the mineral poses serious environmental issues, the alternatives appear costly. Ian Morse looks at what’s next for critical graphite supplies.

The proposed solution is claimed to be able to mitigate potential fire risk, improve logistics and reduce costs. It consists of a series of interchangeable wide blocks that are said to be easily movable for simplified transportation.

The “graphene revolution” is almost here. Australian scientists specializing in aluminum-ion batteries are now working with Brisbane-based Graphene Manufacturing Group to commercialize a technology that could transform energy storage.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is funding the 300MW wind-solar-storage project as part of its mission to promote sustainable infrastructure projects in partner countries like India.

Owners and operators of energy storage systems, as well as investors, need transparent ways to evaluate battery performance. They need certainty that the selected batteries for their ESS projects will perform reliably, have predictable life expectancies, and meet projected revenue and contractual obligations over their lifetimes. The economic viability of entire projects depend on this confidence, writes Michael Kleinberg of DNV.

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited has installed a 150 kW/528 kWh battery energy storage system at Ranibagh Substation in New Delhi. The system will support the utility in managing the peak load, voltage regulation, power factor improvement, frequency regulation, and deviation settlement mechanism at the substation level. Besides, it will provide a power backup of 150 kW for 4 hours duration to preferential consumers in case of a grid outage.

U.S.-based researchers have modeled the costs of achieving 200 GW, 400 GW and 600 GW of renewables capacity in India this decade and concluded PV should supply no more than half of the generation facilities and policymakers should shift their focus to wind power.

In India, the lack of suitable fiscal incentives and relevant experience, combined with high upfront capital costs, has hindered the adoption of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in comparison to other developed countries. However, there is potential for the country to take the lead.