In a move aimed at improving the reliability and availability of clean sources of power, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), under the power ministry, has proposed making energy storage systems mandatory for future renewable energy projects. In this regard, the authority released the Draft Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Construction of Electric Plants and Electric Lines) 2nd Amendment, Regulations, 2026.
Under the draft regulations issued by the CEA, renewable energy power plants commissioned after July 1, 2027 would require to have at least 15 per cent of their inverter equipped with grid forming control and all Power Conversion Systems (PCS) of battery energy storage system would need to have grid-forming capability to comply with the technical requirements. The draft also states that ground-mounted solar power plant and on-shore wind power plant which are commissioned after July 1, 2027 shall be equipped with co-located Energy Storage System (ESS) having a minimum storage duration of two hours and a capacity equivalent to at least 10 per cent of the installed capacity of the plant.
Also, ground-mounted solar power plant and on-shore wind power plant which are commissioned after July 1, 2029 and up to June 30, 2031 shall be equipped with co-located ESS having a minimum storage duration of 4 hours and a capacity equivalent to at least 10 per cent of the installed capacity of the plant. The draft also said that any change in the percentage of requirement of grid forming capabilities or ESS capacity shall be notified by CEA from time to time. The proposals come as India pursues its target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
