Solar, wind and battery solution will support India’s 2022 renewable energy goal and further grid-scale use of battery storage
Black & Veatch has been selected to provide engineering expertise to IL&FS Energy Development Company Limited’s (IEDCL) 41 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, and battery storage hybrid project in India.
Core components of the project are 25 MW solar PV and 16 MW wind power generation systems, coupled to an optimised energy storage system. Technical services for the project are funded by a grant award from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency; the project is located in Andhra Pradesh. IL&FS Energy is building multiple giggawatt-scale solar parks in India.
“Grid modernization through hybrid projects like this one will help promote sustainable economic growth in India, and support the government’s goal of reaching 175 GW of capacity from renewable sources by 2022. Hybrid solutions, by optimizing output and reducing variability, will also improve the bankability of renewable energy projects,” says Mitesh Patel, Director of Black & Veatch’s renewable energy businesses in Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Appropriate battery storage solutions are an important tool in stabilizing the grid when a significant amount of renewable energy is integrated, as is the case currently in India. The system will enable a more reliable and consistent output from the combined facility by stabilizing fluctuations in output from the intermittent resources and providing services to support stabilization of the grid.
“This project exemplifies our work here. For more than 50 years we have been tailoring leading edge technologies to the specific needs of communities in India,” added Patel.
“This pilot project, apart from delivering industry leading plant load factor and optimized hardware configuration, will assist the distribution company in efficient grid management through real-time monitoring of ramps, peak shifting and matching of load and generation profiles said,” Keshav Prasad Chief Operating Officer, Solar IL&FS Energy.
Black & Veatch’s role includes performing engineering studies to optimize the project, preparing the request for proposal (RFP) documentation for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) provider and for original equipment manufacturers that may supply equipment for the project; providing recommendations on supportive regulatory frameworks that would make BESS viable for similar grid-scale hybrid power projects; and formulating a plan, with key milestones for the implementation of the project.
“This pathbreaking project supports our vision of bringing sustainable, economic, and reliable power generation solutions to India. India has established ambitious goals in green energy and innovative projects like this will be critical to meeting our national objectives,” said Ashwani Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, IL&FS Energy.
Editor's Notes:
- Black & Veatch’s Distributed Energy team delivers energy storage, hybrid, microgrid, and solar PV projects to Clients globally.
- Black & Veatch has delivered 18,000 MW of solar PV projects globally covering professional services and engineer, procure, construct (EPC), and has successfully completed owners engineering for solar projects in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
- According to IEA’s World Energy Investment 2018 report, in India, investment in renewable power exceeded that for fossil fuel based power generation for the first time in 2017.
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)’s Renewable Energy Prospects for India (REmap working paper) reported in 2017 that greater integration of renewables in India would improve energy access for poor communities and boost overall energy security. The increased use of renewables in 2030 would save India 12 times more than it costs, in view of reduced environmental and health damage.
- India’s Ministry of New & Renewable Energy released the National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy in May 2018. The main objective of the Policy is to provide a framework for promotion of large grid connected wind-solar PV hybrid system for optimal and efficient utilization of transmission infrastructure and land, reducing the variability in renewable power generation and achieving better grid stability.
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