BRPL to Deploy 5 BESS in Delhi for 2.6 Lakh Consumers

New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) In a move that will boost the national capital's switch to clean energy, power regulator DERC has greenlit BRPL discom's plan to set up five battery energy storage systems, or BESS, stated to cater to more than 2.5 lakh people in south and west Delhi areas, officials said on Friday.

The project aims at boosting reliability and renewable energy integration and is estimated to result in annual benefits of over 88 crore, they said.

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), in an order on Thursday, gave in-principle approval to BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) to undertake competitive bidding to deploy a cumulative 97.5 MW/195 MWh BESS at five locations in south and west Delhi.

The grid-scale BESS locations are in Dwarka (5 MW/10 MWh), Bindapur (15 MW/30 MWh), Hari Nagar(7.5 MW/15 MWh), Sagarpur (30 MW/60 MWh) and Pappankala (40MW/80MWh) grid stations.

More than 2.66 lakh consumers are expected to benefit from these systems.

Officials termed it an important step towards strengthening Delhi's electricity infrastructure and supporting the growing role of renewable energy in the city's power mix.


The BESS facilities will improve grid reliability, reduce peak-demand stress and enable more efficient power procurement, they said.

The BRPL has already set up a BESS facility at south Delhi's Kilokari with 20 MW/40 MWh capacity. While the project was deployed at a single location, it envisages a larger multi-location deployment across five grid substations.

According to BRPL's submission before the commission, the proposed locations have witnessed an annual peak demand growth rate of approximately 8 per cent over the past three years, while renewable energy penetration in the grid continues to increase.

The BESS can operate as a load, as well as a source of generating and storing electricity, when it is available and supplying it during periods of high demand. The system improves grid flexibility, reliability and operational efficiency, officials said.

According to BRPL's submissions, the proposed BESS project is expected to generate estimated benefits of approximately Rs 88.35 crore annually over its 12-year operational life.

The benefits are expected to arise from energy arbitrage, participation in ancillary services markets, improved reliability, deferred network investments and capital expenditure, and reduced reliance on costly peaking power.

The discom has submitted that the financial benefits arising from the project, including savings from peak load management, energy arbitrage and ancillary services participation, will be passed on to consumers through reductions in power purchase costs.