The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) has issued an expression of interest (EOI) inviting renewable energy project developers to sell energy (27-30 MWh/day) for seven years.

The energy will be used in a pilot Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project of 7 MW/21 MWh in the Pavagada Solar Park or any other location.

The last date for submission of bids is April 6, 2021.

The BESS should be capable of discharging about 21 MWh of energy in three hours during peak hours.

KREDL plans to purchase the energy required (tentatively 27- 30 MWh per day) for seven years for charging the BESS during off-peak and regular hours through an open access mechanism.

Solar, wind, small hydro, or any other renewable energy project developers in Karnataka can submit their offers to supply the energy through the open access mechanism.

The discharged energy from the BESS would be supplied to commercial and industrial consumers during the peak demand period. The proposed pilot BESS project is expected to be commissioned before March 2022. The project is expected to be connected at a 33/11kV voltage level.

Battery-based energy storage enables electricity to be stored and delivered within milliseconds, supporting the electric grid’s stability and helping more energy be captured and delivered on-demand.

Recently, Tata Power Delhi Distribution, which supplies electricity to around seven million households in Delhi, launched India’s first battery-based grid-connected ‘Community Energy Storage System’ in collaboration with Nexcharge. The 150KW/528KWH CESS installation at the Ranibagh Substation is expected to improve the supply reliability at the distribution level, mainly at the load center, to mitigate peak load on distribution transformers.

Firms in the energy storage space say that with the right policy environment and adequate government support, new value streams in grid-balancing, ramping, peak-shifting, and frequency regulation capabilities must be developed to create a stronger business case for batteries. This, in turn, will contribute significantly to renewable energy penetration in the Indian market.