Bidding for battery storage PLI in final stages, says Pralhad Joshi

Says nuclear energy laws being tweaked to attract pvt players

The government is in the final stages of preparing the framework for implementing the next stage of energy sector reforms across multiple areas, including the amendments required in nuclear energy laws to boost private participation and the selection of bidders for Advanced Chemistry Cell - Production Linked Incentive (ACC-PLI) scheme, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said.

 

Outlining the scope and the status of the work across critical energy areas, Joshi said the government will also invite project proposals soon under a new scheme to promote utilisation of green hydrogen as fuel for decentralised applications, such as cooking and heating, apart from developing a new bioenergy scheme with an expanded scope, and also finalising India's third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) before COP30 in November.

 

“Committees have been constituted by the Department of Atomic Energy to discuss and propose amendments in these acts (Atomic Energy Act, Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act) to allow participation of private parties in respect of the nuclear sector. The recommendations submitted by the committees are being deliberated to give final shape to these legislative amendments,” Joshi said in a written reply to a detailed questionnaire by Business Standard.

 

Under the revamped contours of the country's nuclear energy policies, private companies' participation is being sought in designing, building, and operating nuclear power plants. The power ministry is working closely with the Department of Atomic Energy, state governments and the industry to accelerate the deployment of nuclear power projects.

 

Sharing an update on energy storage, the minister said the selection of bidders for the 10 Gigawatt Hour (GWh) capacity of ACC-PLI scheme, aimed at supporting grid-scale stationary energy storage applications, has not been finalised yet and the bidding documents are currently in the final stages of preparation and approval.

 

He said the government has published a national framework for promoting and developing energy storage systems, apart from granting waiver on Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges for renewable energy projects with energy storage systems, and approving viability gap funding for development of approximately 43 GWh of battery energy storage systems.

 

On the efforts to develop a green hydrogen-based economy, Joshi said the scheme guidelines have been issued under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) for the implementation of pilot projects for production and use of green hydrogen using innovative methods and pathways. “The objectives are to support the pilots involving utilisation of green hydrogen as fuel for decentralised applications such as cooking and heating. Proposals under this scheme will be invited shortly,” he said.

 

Commenting on the efforts to manage the intermittency of solar and wind power supply, Joshi said the government has set up 13 Renewable Energy Management Centres (REMCs) for better forecasting and real-time monitoring of green energy generation, and load dispatch centres are ensuring that electricity demand is fully met using dispatchable sources such as hydro and thermal power when the wind does not blow and sun does not shine.

 

The minister also said in order to enable speedy execution of wind energy capacity, the ministry is engaging with states to identify government land for projects and where government land is insufficient, states have been encouraged to facilitate acquisition of private land, provided fair and timely compensation is ensured.

 

“This is crucial for expediting project execution and creating a conducive development environment. Moreover, the ministry has specifically requested wind-rich states (Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh) to reserve high-wind-potential sites for wind or wind-solar hybrid projects, to censure strategic and optimal land utilisation,” Joshi said. India has a current installed wind energy generation capacity of 52.2 GW, and the country is targeting raising it to 100 GW by 2029-30. Around 30 GW capacity is under the implementation stage.

 

On the issue of transmission capacity constraints for projects, Joshi said the renewable energy implementing agencies - Solar Energy Corporation of India, NTPC, NHPC, and SJVN - have issued Letters of Award (LoAs) as intermediary procurers. The government has taken steps to expedite the power sale agreements (PSAs), including asking states for compliance of Renewable Consumption Obligation (RCO) under Energy Conservation Act, and asking the implementing agencies to aggregate demand from DISCOMs and design products accordingly before inviting tenders, he said.