SECI Commissioned India's largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh

Posted 27 Feb 2024

Updated 27 Mar 2024

2 min read

SECI’s 40 MW/120 MWh BESS will store solar energy when the sun is shining and using it later during hours of peak demand in the evening.
- It is funded by the World Bank and Clean Technology Fund (CTF) under Innovation in Solar Power & Hybrid Technologies (ISP&HT) Project.

About BESS
- A BESS is an electrochemical device that charges (or collects energy) from the grid or a power plant and then discharges that energy at a later time to provide electricity or other grid services when needed.
- It is helpful in:
  - Improving grid stability enabling larger Renewable Energy (RE) integration
  - Bringing down peak deficits
  - Meeting Renewable Purchase Obligations (mandates discoms to purchases a minimum percentage of electricity from RE).
  - Reduction of carbon emissions.

Initiatives to promote BESS
- Allowing BESS to participate in the High Price Day Ahead Market (HP-DAM) segment of the Energy Exchange.
- Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme for development of 4,000 MWh of BESS projects by 2030-31
- Waiver of Inter-State Transmission Charges on BESS Projects commissioned up to July 2025.
- National programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery storage for Gigascale.
  - Bidding Guidelines for BESS.

Proposed in 2008.
Seeks to promote scaled-up financing for demonstration, deployment and transfer of low-carbon technologies with significant potential for long-term greenhouse gas emissions savings.
Funds projects in developing countries.
World Bank acts as Trustee for the CTF.

It seeks to demonstrate the operational and economic feasibility of utility scale innovative renewable energy technologies and BESS.

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