New Delhi: The Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), under the aegis of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has successfully commissioned India’s largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which stores energy using solar energy. The 40 megawatts (MW) / 120MWh BESS with a solar photovoltaic (PV) plant which has an installed capacity of 152.325 megawatt hour (MWh)and dispatchable capacity of 100MW AC (155.02 MW peak DC) is located in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh.
The energy would be purchased by the state of Chhattisgarh, thus contributing to meeting the peak energy demand of the state using green electrons and also towards its renewable purchase obligations. The project has been dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi via video conferencing today, February 24, 2024.
The project using solar panels and battery storage represents a monumental leap forward in the generation and use of renewable energy. The project utilizes battery storage for storing solar energy when the sun is shining and using it later during hours of peak demand in the evening, for meeting the electricity demand in the state. The project has deployed bifacial modules, which reflect the light from the ground, thus generating more electricity than monofacial modules, hence setting a new standard for large-scale renewable energy projects.
A unique aspect of this project is its strategic use of previously unused land. Through a tripartite land-use permission agreement among the Energy Department of the Government of Chhattisgarh, Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL), and SECI, 451 acres of wasteland across 9 villages in Tehsil Dongargarh and Dongargaon, District Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, have been repurposed. The project has thus adopted a sustainable approach to energy project development while minimizing environmental impact.
The project ensures overall power stability and reliability by ensuring an efficient evacuation of power through a 132 kilo-volt (kV) double-circuit double-string transmission line to Chhattisgarh State Power Transmission Company Limited’s (CSPTCL) 220/132 kilovolt (kV) Thelkadih substation, facilitating seamless integration into the existing power grid.
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