Daily
250 words
7/10
Rating

21 July 2026

Need for long-duration energy storage to support India's renewable transition grid requirements

This topic offers valuable analytical data, technology comparisons, and policy recommendations for India's energy transition and renewable grid infrastructure.

3 min read 2 questions 2 prelims

Notes

  • India recorded a peak power demand of 270.8 GW on May 21, representing a ~90 GW increase from the same window in 2019, driven significantly by nighttime air conditioning demand.
  • The 2026 Long-Term National Resource Adequacy Plan targets 80 GW of battery energy storage and 94 GW of pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES) by FY2035-36, with average discharge durations of 4 and 6 hours respectively.
  • Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) refers to technologies capable of storing and discharging power or thermal energy for extended durations ranging from 8 hours to days, weeks, or seasons.
  • Short-duration storage systems (<8 hours) handle intra-day demand fluctuations, whereas LDES provides endurance against multi-day low solar/wind generation and extreme weather events such as heatwaves.
  • PHES technology offers 70-80% energy efficiency and a capital cost of ~$0.12/kWh (PNNL study), but requires dual water reservoirs at different elevations and substantial land/water availability.
  • Compressed-Air Energy Storage (CAES) yields 40-70% efficiency at ~$0.10/kWh, but depends on subterranean geological features like salt caverns or depleted gas fields.
  • Thermal energy storage provides discharge durations of up to 200 hours at 55-90% efficiency, while chemical hydrogen storage can last up to 1,000 hours despite lower efficiency.
  • Vanadium flow batteries achieve 80-85% efficiency for 10-24 hour discharge durations and are commercially scalable independent of strict geographical conditions.
  • According to a 2026 CEA report, India's PHES potential is 267 GW, with plans to install 100.8 GW by 2035-36 (11.6 GW currently under construction).
  • India's recent LDES deployments include a 160-MWh carbon dioxide battery storage system at NTPC Kudgi (Karnataka) and a 3-MWh vanadium redox flow battery system at NTPC Greater Noida.
  • Global regulatory models include California's 2 GW LDES procurement mandate (2031-2037) and the UK's financial framework providing minimum revenue guarantees for LDES investments.
  • Key policy recommendations for India include integrating LDES into the National Framework for Promoting Energy Storage Systems, offering technology-agnostic Viability Gap Funding (VGF), enabling co-location with data centers, and upskilling dispatch centre operators for multi-day dispatch management.

Questions

  1. With India targeting ambitious renewable energy integration, examine the role of Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) in maintaining power grid stability. How do current policy frameworks fall short, and what key measures are required to foster investment in LDES technologies? 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00
  2. Compare the technical and geographical constraints of Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage (PHES) with non-geography-dependent storage solutions like Vanadium Flow Batteries. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00

Prelims

  1. With reference to energy storage technologies mentioned in India's energy roadmap, consider the following statements: 1. Vanadium flow batteries provide an efficiency of 80-85% across durations of 10-24 hours. 2. According to Central Electricity Authority estimates, India possesses a total Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage (PHES) potential of approximately 267 GW. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  2. Which of the following energy storage technologies relies specifically on geological formations such as salt caverns or depleted gas fields?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources