1 week ago

India Bets on Battery Storage to Reduce Solar Curtailments

India is producing more solar power than its electricity network can use at some times.

This is especially common during sunny summer days.

When the grid cannot accept all the electricity, some solar plants are temporarily turned down.

About 11% of solar power was lost this way during the hottest months this year.

Batteries can store extra electricity during the day.

The stored power can then be supplied when people need it later.

The government expects more investment in batteries to reduce these losses.

Officials say solar projects without batteries may have difficulty finding buyers.

Nearly 42 gigawatts of planned capacity still do not have contracts to sell their electricity.

Key facts

Solar power curtailed: About 11% of solar power generated during the hottest months this year was lost to grid curtailments.
Unabsorbed electricity: More than 8 billion kilowatt-hours were not absorbed by the transmission system from April to June.
Power reaching the system: About 63 billion kilowatt-hours reached India’s system from April to June.
Planned capacity without contracts: Almost 42 gigawatts of planned capacity had yet to sign offtake contracts.
Projects at greater curtailment risk: Almost 21 gigawatts of renewable projects have only part-time access to the grid.
At-risk capacity: About 18 gigawatts of solar-only projects and another 14 to 15 gigawatts awarded at high prices were identified as particularly at risk.
Peak curtailment period: The highest curtailment occurred in May, when scorching heat drove electricity use to a record.

theprint.in · 1 week ago