Energy Transition Requires Storage and Transmission Alongside Power Generation

Context

An article in The Indian Express Ideas examines how expanding renewable energy capacity without adequate storage and transmission infrastructure can create challenges for grid management. It highlights the need for planned flexibility and sufficient network capacity to balance variable electricity generation with continuous power demand.

Key Highlights

• Increasing solar and wind energy capacity alters the pattern and timing of electricity supply.
• Energy storage enables surplus electricity to be used during peak demand periods, while transmission infrastructure facilitates the movement of power across regions.
• Traditional coal based power plant operations face challenges due to the frequent ramping required when renewable energy generation fluctuates.
• The financial viability of the energy transition depends on appropriate price signals, reliable procurement mechanisms and investments in flexibility.

Key Concepts

• Variable Renewable Energy (VRE): Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, whose electricity output varies according to weather conditions.
• Battery Energy Storage System (BESS): An electrochemical storage system that stores electricity and releases it when required, providing flexibility for short durations.
• Pumped Storage Hydropower: A system that uses surplus electricity to pump water to a higher elevation and releases it through turbines when electricity is needed.
• Grid Balancing: The real-time adjustment of electricity supply and demand while maintaining frequency, voltage and overall system stability.
• Transmission Constraint/Curtailment: A situation in which limited transmission network capacity prevents available electricity from reaching consumers, requiring some power generation to be reduced.
• Capacity Factor: The ratio of actual energy generated over a given period to the energy that could have been produced if the power plant operated continuously at its full rated capacity during that period.

Way Forward

• Procure energy storage systems and flexible power capacity alongside renewable energy tenders.
• Plan inter State transmission infrastructure and local distribution network upgrades in advance.
• Strengthen time of day electricity tariffs and markets for ancillary services.