Energy Storage in India
The Indo-German technical cooperation project “Energy Storage for Renewable Energy Integration in India (StoREin)” showcased its work on advancing energy storage deployment, research, capacity building and grid integration in India during Bharat Electricity, POWERGEN India and Indian Utility Week 2026, held from 1–3 September 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.
The scheme envisages the development of 5000 MW of Floating Solar Photovoltaic projects with co-located Energy Storage Systems having a minimum storage capacity of two hours i.e.,10,000 MWh. The projects will be sanctioned during FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31, with disbursement of financial support continuing up to FY 2032-33.
The approval follows the recent assessment undertaken by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), which has estimated a floating solar potential of approximately 102.18 GWp across reservoirs and other suitable inland water bodies in the country.
As per the National Electricity Plan (Generation) Gazette notified in May 2023, the projected Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) installed capacity requirement by the year 2026-27 and 2031-32 are 8.68 Giga Watt (GW) / 34 Giga Watt hour (GWh) and 47.24GW /236 GWh respectively with an estimated investment of about Rs 3.49 lakh Crores by 2031-32. The projected Pumped Storage Plant (PSP) installed capacity requirement by the year 2026-27 and 2031-32 are 7.45 GW / 47 GWh and 26.69 GW/ 175 GWh respectively with an estimated investment of about Rs 1.29 lakh Crores by 2031-32.
TERI convened high-level stakeholder consultation on the role of Concentrated Solar Power and Thermal Energy Storage in enabling Firm Dispatchable Renewable Energy. The discussion highlighted the role of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) integrated with Thermal Energy Storage (TES) as a potential pathway to complement solar photovoltaic systems and support India’s long-term decarbonization and energy reliability goals.
Researchers have developed a cost-effective, efficient thermal energy storage material that can significantly improve the efficiency of thermal batteries used in concentrated solar power plants and industrial waste heat recovery systems. Researchers at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) have developed a cost-effective, scalable process to produce spinel nano composite Phase Change Material (PCM) with an unprecedented increase in specific heat capacity for thermal energy storage applications.
Scientists from Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology, have developed an oxygen-deficient bimetallic oxide based on molybdenum and tungsten (Mo0.11W0.89O3-x), a unique compound that addresses this limitation by serving both purposes. The colour change in a device made with this oxide from blue (charged state) to transparent (discharged state) shows one whether the device is in charged or discharged state. The science behind this unique property lies in the "oxygen-deficient" nature of the oxide.
Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), a Navratna CPSU under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, has exchanged Government Orders (GOs) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the development of a 1200 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Nandyal and a 50 MW Hybrid Solar Project.
Researchers have unveiled a novel air-chargeable battery for a sustainable power solution. This technology traps the oxygen from the environment to drive the charging process for energy storage and is a step towards a carbon-neutral future. In a world racing toward renewable energy solutions, a photo-assisted battery offers great promise as they combine the best of two worlds-- the light-capturing capability of solar cells and the robust energy storage of conventional batteries. Generally, solar panels convert sunlight into electricity, but they rely on separate battery systems to store the energy for later use. In contrast, photo-assisted batteries merge these functions into a single device, creating a seamless synergy between solar energy conversion and storage.