BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci & Tech)

Context: The Union Cabinet Approved a ₹3,760 crore viability gap fund(VGF) grant aimed at enhancing the viability of infrastructure projects—for battery energy storage systems (BESS), in a boost for the renewable energy sector .Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

• BESS is a technology developed for storing electric charge by using specially developed batteries.
• They enable energy from renewables like solar and wind to be stored and released on demand later.
• It typically utilizes an electrochemical solution.
• BESS has an advantage over other storage technologies as it has a small footprint and no restrictions on geographical locations where it could be located.

Battery Storage Project in Ladakh

• The Government of India has planned to build 10 GW of large green energy capacity projects in the Ladakh region.
• It will comprise both solar and wind projects.
• The BESS will be used to store the electricity to supply to the rest of the country through a transmission link.

Need for BESS in India

• As per the Central Electricity Authority, India’s power requirement will be 817 GW by 2030, with more than half the share of clean energy.
• The solar and wind energy generated will require a storage mechanism to balance the national electricity grid.
• It is estimated that there will be a need for a 27 GW grid-scale battery energy storage system by 2030 with four hours of storage.