CEA Proposes Draft Safety Guidelines for BESS

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has issued the Draft Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2025, proposing safety guidelines specifically for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The draft, published under the Electricity Act, 2003, aims to address safety, fire protection, and design standards as BESS gains prominence in India’s power infrastructure.

The draft regulations are now open for public comments, which can be submitted by post or email by July 20, 2025. The draft is accessible on the CEA website.

Definitions for BESS Components Formalised

The amendment introduces formal definitions for BESS, Battery Management System (BMS), and Power Conversion System (PCS). BESS is described as an electrochemical system connected to the grid, while BMS and PCS are essential for safety control and grid compatibility.

A new Chapter X-A has been added, dedicated to the safety of BESS. It lays down provisions in addition to the existing safety norms.

Safety Provisions for BESS

The regulations mandate two-fault tolerance design to prevent battery failures. BMS must continuously monitor voltage, temperature, and current, with automatic shutdown and alarm triggers if readings exceed safe limits. PCS should operate autonomously with built-in diagnostics.

As for external safety, battery containers must be explosion-proof and ventilated. They must follow specific installation distances - 7.5 metres from buildings and 3 metres between containers - unless fire testing proves otherwise.

Adequate ventilation systems are essential to limit overheating and flammable gases. Containers above 200 kWh must include water-based automatic fire suppression systems. Hazard detection systems for smoke, gas, and heat are also required.

Other Provisions

Apart from BESS safety and nomenclature, the draft guidelines also provide for structural and emergency measures, fire audits and training guidelines, and other relevant standards.

BESS containers must comply with ingress protection standards and include emergency lighting, access signage, fencing of at least 1.8 metres, and CCTV surveillance. Manual emergency stop buttons should be easily accessible as well.

In addition, Installations must also comply with proper grounding norms. In cases involving liquid electrolytes, spill containment must meet prescribed standards.

For fire safety, a third-party fire safety audit is mandatory for all BESS installations. It is to be conducted as per Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which will be issued in the next three months. The Directorate General of Fire Safety will also release training guidelines for fire personnel handling BESS-related incidents.

Furthermore, a new provision mandates that the CEA will issue a list of relevant standards within three months of finalising the regulations. This will ensure uniform compliance across installations.

The draft regulations are now open for public comments, which can be submitted by post or email by July 20, 2025. The draft is accessible on the CEA website.