Central Electricity Authority of India has proposed mandatory co-located energy storage for new ground-mounted solar and onshore wind projects. Projects commissioned after July 1, 2027, would require storage equal to at least 10% of installed capacity, with a 2-hour duration. The duration would rise to four hours from July 2029.
SNAPSHOT
Authority: Central Electricity Authority, India
Policy: Draft technical standards for renewable energy projects
Technology: Co-located energy storage, grid-forming inverters
Storage Requirement: At least 10% of installed capacity
Duration: Two hours from July 2027, four hours from July 2029
Covered Projects: Ground-mounted solar, onshore wind
Comments Deadline: October 4, 2026
A statutory body under the Indian government, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), has proposed mandatory energy storage requirements for new government solar and onshore wind projects. The draft regulations would apply to projects commissioned after July 1, 2027. Storage would need to be located with the renewable generation facility. The proposal forms part of draft amendments to India’s technical standards for electric plants and lines. Stakeholders can submit comments and objections until October 4, 2026.
Under the proposed rules, new solar and onshore wind projects would need energy storage equal to at least 10% of installed generation capacity. The storage system would require a minimum duration of two hours for projects commissioned after July 1, 2027. From July 1, 2029, the minimum duration would increase to four hours. The 10% capacity requirement would remain unchanged during the second phase.
For example, based on the proposed requirements, a 100 MW solar or wind project would require at least 10 MW of co-located storage. Under the first phase, that would provide 20 MWh of storage. Under the second phase, the same 100 MW project would require 10 MW with four hours of duration, equivalent to 40 MWh. These figures illustrate the capacity and duration requirements reported in the draft regulations.
The draft also proposes grid-forming inverter capabilities for clean energy projects commissioned after July 2027. The proposal also requires all power conversion systems (PCS) used in battery energy storage systems to have grid-forming control. These systems can support voltage and frequency stability as renewable generation increases.
The proposed rules come as India manages higher renewable generation and periods of surplus electricity. Reuters reported that India curtailed nearly 14% of its solar power output between April and June. The curtailment was linked to daytime surplus generation and limited transmission capacity. Battery storage could absorb some surplus electricity and release it when renewable generation is lower.
The CEA issued the draft notification on September 3, 2026. The proposed requirements are part of a technical standards amendment rather than a specific project tender. If adopted, the rules would establish storage and inverter requirements for future renewable projects. The draft also allows the CEA to modify the storage percentage or grid-forming requirements over time.