New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday visited the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility in Kilokri to inspect the city’s first large-scale power bank, developed by BSES Rajdhani Power Limited.
Accompanied by senior BSES officials, Sood reviewed the technical infrastructure and ongoing preparations for the upcoming launch of the 20 MW/40 MWh battery storage system.
Calling it a major step towards strengthening Delhi’s power infrastructure, Sood emphasised the government’s focus on modernisation and reliability.
“Our government is deeply committed to modernising power infrastructure. Providing safe and reliable electricity is a top priority,” he said while addressing the media after the inspection.
The BESS facility at Kilokri marks a significant milestone in India’s energy transition journey, as it is the first commercial utility-scale battery energy storage system designed to support renewable energy integration and enhance grid stability.
The system will store surplus electricity from the grid during off-peak hours and release it during high demand or in case of grid failures.
“Look, very soon this battery bank will be formally dedicated to the public. This is a new technology where electricity from the grid is safely stored in these batteries and later, through a large industrial inverter, can be used in case of grid or infrastructure failure,” Sood added.
This pioneering initiative comes under the Central Government’s policy announced in September 2024.
The national policy aims to deliver 4 GWh of battery storage capacity by 2026, supporting India’s ambitious push towards renewable energy and helping manage the rising load on urban power grids like that of Delhi.
Sood also pointed out the increasing pressure on Delhi’s electricity demand and stressed that such technological solutions are essential to maintaining uninterrupted power supply across the city.
“With Delhi’s electricity load increasing steadily, such power banks are essential. This is our first experiment, and we are confident it will set an example,” he noted.
The project is expected to become operational soon.
–IANS
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