Govt eyes 14GWh battery storage system in Kutch

What is the News?

India has planned to set up around 14 gigawatt-hour (GWh) grid-scale battery storage systems at the Khavda renewable energy park in Gujarat.

About Khavda Renewable Energy Park

Khavda Renewable Energy Park is the world’s largest renewable energy park in Gujarat’s Kutch. 

The park will be built along the Indo-Pak border at Khavda.

The park will generate 30GW of clean energy. It will be a hybrid renewable energy park, as it will produce power using both solar energy and wind energy.

What are Large Battery Storage systems used for?

Large battery storages can help keep power grids stable, given electricity is produced intermittently from clean energy sources such as solar and wind.

One of the most critical advantages of battery storage is the ability to store energy as it is generated and then redistribute it when needed rather than as it is produced. 

This ability reduces the need to curtail renewable generation and allows the energy to be deployed during periods of high electricity demand.

India’s Renewable Energy Capacity and the need of Battery Storage systems

India has already crossed 100GW of installed solar and wind capacity, with another 63GW under construction. 

The plan is to have 175GW renewable energy capacity by 2022 and 450GW by 2030. This huge injection of electricity in the grid from sources such as solar and wind requires a battery storage mechanism that can help balance the national electricity grid. 

According to the Central Electricity Authority, there will be a need for 27GW of grid-scale battery energy storage systems by 2030 with four hours of storage.

Source: This post is based on the article “Govt eyes 14GWh battery storage system in Kutch” published in Livemint on 20th Sep 2021.