Jaipur: Jaipur Discom and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) on Wednesday invited industry players to build a 250 kilowatt-hour (kWh) sodium-ion battery energy storage system on a distribution transformer in Jaipur. The pilot will be set up at KL Saini Stadium in the city’s Mansarovar area. It will test whether storing renewable energy close to consumers can help a distribution company maintain supply when demand peaks.
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The request for proposal (RFP) was issued on the second day of a national conference of electricity distribution companies in the city.
The pilot targets the point where peak demand hits the network first, according to Rajasthan Energy Secretary and Discoms Chairperson Arti Dogra. She said that the impact of rising electricity demand during peak hours was first felt at the distribution transformer level. The project would help assess whether battery storage could reduce the burden on transformers, she said. It would also show whether batteries could store electricity generated by rooftop solar panels and improve the functioning of the distribution network.
Dogra said the experience gained from the project would help power distribution companies make better decisions on installing energy storage systems in the future.
The project will also put sodium-ion technology through Rajasthan’s climatic conditions as an alternative to the widely used lithium-ion batteries, according to an official statement. It will examine whether sodium-ion batteries can manage peak electricity demand at the local level and improve the use of power from rooftop solar installations, the statement said.
GEAPP India Country Head Tanya Singhal said energy storage would play an important role in India’s electricity grid in the coming years. Distribution companies should have reliable battery technology options beyond lithium-ion, she said. Singhal said testing sodium-ion batteries on a working transformer in Rajasthan would provide actual operational data rather than relying on estimates.
Under the arrangement, Jaipur Discom will provide the site, technical personnel and operational data. GEAPP will handle system design, performance monitoring and technical support, and it will also train the discom’s engineers. The findings will be shared with electricity distribution companies across the country so that they can judge whether sodium-ion storage suits their own networks, the statement said.
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GEAPP is a global not-for-profit organisation. It works with public, private and philanthropic institutions to promote clean energy.