New Delhi: India took a major step towards long-duration energy storage on Tuesday with the inauguration of the country’s first MWh-scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) at NTPC NETRA, the R&D centre of NTPC Ltd in Greater Noida. The 3 MWh system, developed by NTPC NETRA, marks India’s largest vanadium flow battery installation and a key milestone in advancing renewable energy integration and grid resilience.
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The system was inaugurated by Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister of Power, during a visit to NTPC NETRA, in the presence of Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal, Additional Secretary Piyush Singh, and NTPC CMD Gurdeep Singh, along with senior ministry and NTPC officials.
The vanadium redox flow battery technology offers a new pathway for long-duration energy storage (LDES), which is essential for managing variability in renewable generation. Unlike lithium-ion systems, vanadium flow batteries use liquid electrolytes and can store energy for extended periods with longer life cycles and enhanced safety.
The Ministry of Power said the project “marks a major step forward in the nation’s journey towards long-duration energy storage solutions, enhancing renewable energy integration and grid resilience.”
Commending the NTPC NETRA team for its research efforts, Khattar said the project reflects India’s growing innovation and technological capabilities in the clean energy sector. He said NTPC’s advancements in areas such as energy storage, carbon capture, and green hydrogen are “setting new benchmarks for sustainable development and energy transition.”
The minister added that innovative technologies like vanadium flow batteries can expand the range of materials used for battery manufacturing, reducing dependence on conventional lithium-ion systems and broadening India’s supply chain options.
During his visit, the minister reviewed several demonstration plants at NTPC NETRA, including, Green Hydrogen Mobility Plant, STP Water-based Green Hydrogen Plant, Solid Oxide High-Temperature Steam Electrolyser, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF)-based enhanced steam gasification plant AC Microgrid system (4 MWp solar with 1 MWh Li-NMC battery). The NETRA campus also houses NABL-accredited laboratories for advanced energy research.
NTPC has been expanding its clean energy research portfolio to support India’s decarbonisation goals. The company’s R&D efforts now span green hydrogen, carbon capture, waste-to-energy, and energy storage technologies, aligning with the government’s goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.
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The commissioning of the VRFB system is expected to open new avenues for indigenous energy storage technologies and support grid-scale renewable integration in India.