Singareni to launch 1 MW battery storage system this week

HYDERABAD

To prevent wastage of unused solar power generated during the day or its supply to the grid free of cost, Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) is set to launch a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for the first time in the State to store surplus solar power and makes it available whenever required.

The SCCL has recently installed a one-megawatt BESS linked to its 28 MW solar power plant in Mandamarri Area on experimental basis. The battery storage plant is all set to be commissioned in the next two or three days. According to officials of Singareni, the company has already installed solar plants with a total capacity of 245.5 MW.

The electricity generated is being supplied to Telangana Transco through the grid. However, during periods of low demand within Singareni, the surplus solar power generated is now being supplied to the grid without any charges. To make full use of this leftover solar energy, the new highly advanced solar power storage and conservation system, BESS, would be used so as to store the excess power and supply it to the grid during peak demand hours.

The State government also intends to install large-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems with a total capacity of around 250 MW in the near future. In this context, the 1 MW BESS installed at Mandamarri by Singareni stands as a significant first step.

Established at a cost of ₹2.73 crore, the BESS would allow Singareni to utilise approximately 9.1 lakh units of otherwise unused solar power annually, resulting in savings of up to ₹70 lakh a year. Chairman and Managing Director of SCCL N. Balaram stated that Singareni was also planning to set up additional BESS units at suitable locations across all its areas.