Changing Energy Paradigm
- The climate crisis has redefined energy security: now based on availability, accessibility, affordability, and environmental acceptability.
- Environmental acceptability highlights the trade-offs in emissions, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
- Renewables meet this criterion well, aligning with SDG 7 (access to clean energy).
Relevance : GS 3(Energy , Environment and Ecology)
Need for Energy Storage
- Intermittency of renewables (solar, wind) limits their reliability.
- Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) offer:
- Grid stability
- Demand-supply balancing
- Peak load management
- Decentralised energy delivery (e.g. microgrids)
- BESS enables lower GHG emissions and greater renewable integration.
Technological & Cost Trends
- Battery prices have fallen ~90% over 15 years.
- BESS is favored due to:
- Affordability
- Scalability
- Fast deployment
- Geographic flexibility
- Yet, full potential is blocked by:
- Regulatory hurdles
- Lack of financing
- Technical barriers
- Critical mineral constraints
India’s BESS Progress & Targets
- Target: 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 (217.62 GW achieved by Jan 2025).
- BESS Target: 47 GW by 2032.
- Supportive policies:
- Viability Gap Funding (VGF)
- Waiver of interstate transmission charges (till June 2025)
Key Challenges (Economic Survey 2024–25)
- Grid upgrade investments lagging
- Slow BESS adoption by large users
- Limited access to critical minerals
- Delays in large-scale agreements
- Need for innovation and investment in:
- Battery procurement
- Grid infrastructure
- Mineral supply chains
Role of Partnerships
- Public-private-philanthropic alliances can:
- Offer concessional financing
- Enable technical capacity building
- Delhi BESS Pilot (BSES Rajdhani, IndiGrid, GEAPP):
- Provides a technical playbook
- Supports regulatory reform
- Helps scale future BESS efforts
India as a BESS Leader
- India’s leadership in renewables must be complemented by strong BESS rollout.
- Strategic actions:
- Domestic battery manufacturing
- Recycling initiatives
- Flexible grid integration
- Consortium-led collaboration (e.g., BESS Consortium under GEAPP)
- BESS is essential for energy independence, climate goals, and secure, reliable power systems.
