BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM (BESS)

NEWS: Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) commissioned Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Khavda, Gujarat

CONTEXT

  • It is the world’s largest single-location battery storage deployment outside China with a capacity of 3.37 Gigawatt-hour (GWh).

About Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

  • Electrochemical setup that captures excess electrical energy and stores it for later use.
  • Offers flexibility in grid connection and can operate in local mode when the grid is unavailable.
  • ~336 GWh of energy storage capacity is needed by 2029-30 to facilitate reliable integration of renewable energy. (Central Electricity Authority)

Types of BESS

  • Traditional Solid Rechargeable Batteriesà Stores Energy in solid metal electrodes. E.g., Lead Acid Batteries, Lithium-Ion Batteries, Zinc Air Batteries, etc.
  • Flow batteriesà Energy is stored in flowing liquid electrolytes kept in tanks separately.
    • g., vanadium redox flow batteries, zinc-iron flow batteries, zinc-bromine batteries, etc.
  • Limited storage capacity; high upfront costs; Dependency on imports for input material (lithium, cobalt); improper disposal pose environmental risks etc.

Initiatives for BESS deployment in India

  • National Framework for the Promotion of Energy Storage Systems 2023à For the development and deployment of Energy Storage Systems.
  • Production Linked Incentive Scheme for National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storageà To manufacture advanced chemistry cells in India.
  • Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme for development of 4,000 MWh of BESS projects by 2030-31.
  • Explicit recognition to ESSà As an integral part of the power system by amending Electricity Rules in 2022.