E2S Power, India Power Corp sign agreement for 250 kWh pilot thermal energy storage unit.

Switzerland-based E2S Power, a developer of thermal energy storage solutions, and power utility firm India Power Corporation Ltd. (IPCL) have signed an agreement for a 250 kWh pilot thermal energy storage unit to be operated in India.

The pilot unit has been engineered, built, and tested at E2S Power facility in less than nine months. It has passed factory acceptance tests and will be delivered to India in the first quarter of 2023.

“This collaboration will help in transforming thermal power assets into clean energy storage facilities, contributing significantly to the nation’s renewable energy growth, since this solution can be deployed in the near term to provide urgently needed energy storage while using most of the infrastructure in thermal power plants being retired and safeguarding jobs,” said a press statement issued by the company.

According to Somesh Dasgupta, Whole-time Director, IPCL, the association comes at a time when there is more and more emphasis being laid on clean energy. There is huge demand and potential for long duration energy storage system in India and this thermal storage technology is the best match to repurpose the retiring thermal power plants. Through this JV the company expects to cater an estimated demand of 10 GW of Long Duration Energy Storage System (LDESS) within next 8-10 years, he said in the statement.

IPCL and E2S Power will work jointly with major companies in the power and renewable energy sector in the country to identify, evaluate and offer optimised integrated thermal energy solutions for existing plants and facilities being phased out.

HBL