India’s battery storage capacity has risen from about 0.7 GWh to nearly 10 GWh in 10 to 11 months. MNRE Joint Secretary JVN Subramanyam gave the figure in an interview. Meanwhile, curtailment affected 118.6 GW of renewable capacity in September.
Why battery storage matters now
Curtailment happens when the grid cannot take all the power that wind and solar plants produce. In particular, transmission lags behind. A line takes about 36 months to build, Subramanyam said. By contrast, a solar or wind project can be ready in 12 to 18 months. Right-of-way disputes and approvals add to the delay.
Therefore, the ministry is pushing on two fronts. First, it wants lines to big hubs such as Khavda finished on time. Second, it is backing storage, including at the distribution level.
What comes next
New lines have recently come online. As a result, the government expects the gap to narrow over the next 18 months. Even so, the 500 GW goal depends on the grid keeping pace.
For more on the grid problem, read our analysis of India’s curtailment and PM-DHARA.
For a deeper analysis, read: Battery Storage in India: ~14x in a Year, but Curtailment Still Hit 118.6 GW
