IL&FS Energy Development Company has
selected GE to study the feasibility of integrated wind, solar, and
energy storage projects in Ramagiri, Andhra Pradesh and Nana Layja,
Gujarat, India.The initiative is in line with trade outlines made during
the US-India Business Council Summit of 2015 which included plans of
investing around $2bn in renewable energy projects in India.IL&FS
Energy managing director Sunil Wadhwa said: “Energy storage technologies
are essential to the integration of renewables. They help to address
the variability of wind and solar PV generation and make renewable
energy more acceptable to the grid.
“For commercial deployment of these
technologies, a robust regulatory framework needs to be in place. The
flexibility and cost reductions that energy storage technologies provide
to grid infrastructure would allow India to achieve an efficient,
low-carbon intensity trajectory. The current challenge, however, is to
address the initial high cost through a regulatory framework.”Last year,
IL&FS Energy had entered into a grant agreement with the the US
Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to conduct a techno-economic
feasibility study to find out the best possible way of integrating wind
and solar photovoltaic (PV) installations with energy storage solutions
so as to create dispatchable, utility-scale renewable energy projects.
Under the study, GE will design a wind,
solar and energy storage plant, provide estimates of its capital and
operational costs and develop a business plan that would include
viability gap funding which is required for project commercialization.GE
Energy Consulting business technical director Sundar Venkataraman said:
“Energy storage can be particularly helpful for integrating variable
renewable generation in India since the technical infrastructure and
market mechanisms available at the disposal of many other power grids
are not yet available in the country.
“As the costs start to come down, energy storage will become an integral part of India’s grid.
“By taking a look at the impact of
renewable integration with energy storage systems on India’s power grid,
we can provide valuable information to help the country best design its
future grid.”GE hopes to complete the project by mid-2016.Last month,
GE won a contract from Belgian Eco Energy to construct a 100%
biomass-fired power plant in Ghent.The plant will be powered by wood
chips and agro residues. It can generate about 215MW of clean energy for
the industry as well as for nearby households.
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