Amid the fear that the ongoing power crisis could persist for some time, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission has urged the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to complete a number of under-construction battery energy storage system (BESS) projects ahead of their commissioning deadlines.
The commission, at a hearing related to a short-term power purchase proposal, also asked the KSEB to explore the possibility of offering incentives to complete the BESS projects faster.
Earlier, the KSEB had informed the Commission that it planned to complete five BESS projects by October this year. Two of the systems are coming up in Kasaragod district – the first one at Mylatti with a proposed capacity of 125 megawatts (MW)/500 megawatt hours (MWh) and a second 15MW/60MWh project at Mulleria. The other three are a 40 MW/160 MWh BESS at Sreekandapuram in Kannur, a 30 MW/120 MWh project at Areecode in Malappuram, and a 40 MW/160 MWh BESS in Pothencode in Thiruvananthapuram.
The absence of energy storage systems has prevented Kerala from benefiting from the surge in its solar power capacity.
While Kerala faces acute power shortage during the evening hours when demand peaks, the State has ample supply during the daytime on account of the rapid increase in solar power capacity. However, the absence of grid-scale storage systems is forcing the KSEB to surrender contracted power to accommodate the solar power injected into the grid by prosumers.
On Saturday, the Commission also suggested that the KSEB upload photographs of the progress in the BESS projects on its website to keep the public informed.
KSEB plans to complete five BESS projects – two in Kasaragod, one each in Kannur, Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram – by October
Published – July 18, 2026 05:37 pm IST
