CESC, Exide Partner For First Large BESS Project In Bengal

Kolkata Discom CESC and Exide, India’s largest battery manufacturer have partnered on a grid connected 315 kWh battery energy storage systems (BESS) at low tension (LT) distribution system for better peak load management. The project is the first of its kind for West Bengal at this scale. CESC is part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group.

The storage battery is expected to improve voltage profile, frequency management, responsiveness to  to integrate intermittent solar energy sources  and overall power distribution.

The newly inaugurated BESS is located at CESC’s East Calcutta Sub- station near Kankurgachi, Kolkata.

It is safe to assume that in 2021, at least a few more of India’s top metro cities will go for similar systems, probably at a larger scale, to meet their own requirements.

Going with Exide industries core strength, this battery-based energy storage system uses Gel type Lead Acid Technology.

Earlier, Tata DDL was the only other discom with a functional BESS in India to meet similar objectives as the new one at Kolkata. Not coincidentally, in both cases, the discoms involved have been serving urban, relatively affluent regions. And both are profitable. Serving to underscore the key role the financial health of discoms will play if battery storage is to progress as projected in India. The public listed CESC, in its results for the December quarter, had declared a higher topline and net profits of Rs 328 crores.

For Exide, which ended 2019-20 with revenues of Rs 5107 crore, the project will add to its learnings as it seeks to align itself to the next stage of battery technology.

The firm has a JV with Swiss firm Leclanche, Exide leclanche Energy Private Limited, where it now holds an over 80 percent stake, to manufacture lithoum ion batteries for automotive sector, and energy storage.