Some 2 million consumers served by Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (DDL) in Delhi will now have access to a reliable power supply thanks to a 10 MW/10 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) deployed by Fluence, a JV between Siemens and The AES Corporation. Fluence used its Advancion technology for this project.
On February 13, 2019, the 10 MW grid-connected system was inaugurated for Tata Power-DDL, but it is owned by AES and Mitsubishi Corporation. Located at a Rohini, Delhi substation operated by the Indian utility, the BESS project will lead to grid stabilization, better peak load management, add system flexibility and protect critical facilities, said the companies.
Work on the project started in January 2018 by the Indian subsidiary of AES as the first such system in India building a case for the deployment of storage in India, Tata Power-DDL had claimed back then (see 10 MW Storage System For New Delhi). The companies say this is South Asia's largest grid-scale energy storage system.
Compared to time consuming pumped hydroelectric energy storage systems that can take years to build, BESS systems can be built in a shorter time duration, saving water and producing no emissions. "Grid-scale energy storage will pave the way for ancillary market services, power quality management, effective renewable integration and peak load management of Indian grids," said CEO and Managing Director of Tata Power, Praveer Sinha.