CEA’s New Energy Storage Solutions for Integrated Power Generation

Nitin Konde, Apoorva Bajj

Sep 23, 2024 — 2 min read

CEA’s New Energy Storage Solutions for Integrated Power Generation

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is making major gains in addressing the growing need for large-scale energy storage in the nation's power grid, which is a landmark step towards attaining India's goals as it pertains to renewable energy.

Continuing its dedication to ensuring sustainable energy in the future, the Central Energy Authority (CEA) has reached yet another significant milestone by approving two additional Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) in the state of Maharashtra. These PSPs are the 1500 MW Bhavali PSP, which is being developed by JSW Energy Ltd., and the 1000 MW Bhivpuri PSP, which is being developed by Tata Power Co. Ltd.

These PSPs have been approved with the assistance of the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Geological Survey of India (GSI), and the Central Soil and Materials Research Station (CSMRS). Furthermore, these PSPs were approved within ten days of the completion of the DPRs.

The Project Will Fast-Track the Commissioning

Those responsible for the development of these PSPs have stated that they intend to expedite the commissioning process and finish them within 44 to 46 months, that means they are expected to get completed by 2028 respectively. More than 15 gigawatt hours (GWh) of storage capacity will be provided by these power storage power plants (PSPs) altogether. This large-scale energy storage is essential for meeting the peak demand during non-solar hours, in addition to providing inertia to the grid, which ultimately leads to grid stability. Both the acceleration of the integration of renewable energy sources and the support of the transition to a greener energy system will be facilitated by this.

The CEA has set a goal to reach a consensus on at least two PSPs every single month during the current year, but this will be dependent on the developers finishing their DPRs. Concurring 15 Hydro PSPs with a capacity of 25,500 MW is the goal that the CEA has set for the period of 2024-25. Out of these 15 PSPs, four with a capacity of 5,100 MW have already been agreed upon.

Online Platform Jalvi-Store

An online platform called "Jalvi-store" has been developed by CEA as part of its ease of doing business initiative. This portal will bring about increased openness in the processing of chapters during the pre-DPR stage of PSPs.

Furthermore, in order to improve the speed with which the DPRs are ratified, many chapters have been eliminated. Additionally, the check list is incorporated into the guidelines of PSPs, which assists in providing clarity regarding the material that is required for the relevant chapters. Multiple teams have been formed by GSI and CWC in order to expedite the clearance of design chapters included in PSPs.