INDIA'S LARGEST SOLAR-BATTERY PROJECT: CHHATTISGARH

1. In February, 2024 India's largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which stores energy using solar energy, unveiled at Chhattisgarh.
2. This cutting-edge project commissioned by the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), under the aegis of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

What is a BESS?

1. A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) acts as a giant rechargeable battery that stores excess electrical energy for later use.
2. It comprises multiple battery units connected together, along with sophisticated control and management systems.

Why are BESS crucial?

BESS play a vital role in the transition towards clean and renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Here's why:-

1. Renewable sources like solar and wind are intermittent, meaning their production fluctuates based on weather conditions.

• BESS bridge this gap by storing excess energy generated during peak production periods (sunny days for solar) and releasing it when demand is high or generation is low.

2. By absorbing and releasing energy, BESS help maintain grid stability by smoothing out fluctuations in supply and demand.

• This prevents sudden drops or surges in voltage, ensuring reliable power delivery.

3. Peak Demand Management: During peak demand periods, BESS can supplement the grid with stored energy, reducing the strain on traditional power plants and potentially leading to lower electricity costs.
4. Renewable Energy Integration: BESS facilitate greater integration of renewable energy by providing flexibility and dispatchability, meaning the stored energy can be released on demand. This allows for a higher penetration of renewables in the overall energy mix.

Challenges in BESS Development

Despite its immense potential, BESS development faces several challenges:

1. Cost: Currently, the initial cost of setting up a BESS is relatively high compared to traditional power plants.
2. Safety Concerns: Large-scale BESS installations raise safety concerns, primarily related to thermal runaway, which is the uncontrolled heating of batteries that can lead to fires or explosions. Careful design, safety protocols, and monitoring systems are crucial to mitigate these risks.
3. Environmental Impact: While ultimately contributing to a cleaner environment by promoting renewables, some aspects of BESS production and disposal require responsible management. This includes minimizing the environmental impact of battery materials and ensuring proper recycling practices.
4. Policy and Regulatory Framework: BESS are a relatively new technology, and the policy and regulatory frameworks are still evolving in many countries. Clear and supportive policies are essential to encourage investment and facilitate the widespread adoption of BESS.

Key Features of India’s BESS

1. Capacity: Capacity of 40 MW / 120 MWh, making it the largest system of its kind in India.
2. Integration: Strategically coupled with a 152.325 MWh solar photovoltaic (PV) plant that has a dispatchable capacity of 100 MW AC (155.02 MW peak DC).
3. Location: Situated in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, the system revitalizes previously unused land, exemplifying strategic infrastructure development.

Significance and Benefits

India's largest BESS delivers a multitude of advantages critical to the nation's sustainable growth:

1. Grid Stability: BESS plays a pivotal role in stabilizing the electricity grid, a key concern for incorporating intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind. This system stores energy during peak generation and releases it when demand surges, ensuring consistency in supply.
2. Peak Demand Management: The system helps manage peak energy demand, reducing strain on traditional power generation sources, particularly during evening hours.
3. Renewable Energy Integration: By providing energy storage and dispatch capabilities, the BESS significantly enhances the integration of solar power into the grid, unlocking India's vast solar potential.
4. Environmental Impact: This initiative furthers Chhattisgarh's and India's commitment to reducing carbon footprints, promoting a cleaner and sustainable energy mix.

Technological Innovations

1. Bifacial Modules: These modules capture sunlight from both sides, maximizing energy generation.
2. Land Optimization: The intelligent siting of the project on formerly unused land showcases resourceful land-use practices for sustainable energy generation.

Other Major schemes to promote batteries and e-vehicles in India

Battery Storage	Electric Vehicles (EVs)
National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage: This mission aims to develop a comprehensive strategy for promoting battery manufacturing, creating an ecosystem for battery storage solutions, and lowering cell costs. It includes developing gigafactories for battery production.	FAME India Scheme (Phase II): Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles offers demand-side incentives for purchasing EVs, such as upfront discounts and tax benefits. It also supports the development of charging infrastructure.
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage: This scheme provides financial incentives to companies establishing domestic manufacturing capacity for ACC batteries. The goal is to lower battery costs and make energy storage more affordable.	Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components This scheme encourages domestic manufacturing of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, along with their key components.
Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS): M-SIPS provides incentives for investments in the electronics sector, including the manufacture of batteries and other components essential for battery storage systems.	State-level EV policies: Many states in India have their own EV policies, offering additional incentives such as road tax exemptions, registration fee waivers, and subsidies for EV purchases and charging infrastructure development.

Impact of These Schemes

1. Increased EV adoption
2.  Growth of domestic manufacturing
3.  Development of a robust ecosystem