Karnataka will prioritise battery energy storage systems to support electricity supply during periods of peak demand and expand solar power for irrigation wells, Energy Minister K.J. George said at a departmental progress review meeting on Thursday.
The measures are part of a broader state strategy to increase the share of renewable energy in Karnataka’s electricity system, George said. The plan combines battery storage with solar generation and preparations to secure additional thermal and external power for periods when demand rises.
Under the KUSUM-C scheme, work orders have so far been issued for 439 projects with a combined capacity of 2,767 megawatts, according to the minister. Of these, 122 projects with a total capacity of 694 MW have been completed.
The state is also implementing the first phase of the Chief Minister’s Solar Agriculture Scheme. A total of 159 projects with an aggregate capacity of 919 MW have been taken up in the service areas of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, Hubli Electricity Supply Company and Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company.
A second phase is being implemented across the jurisdictions of all five electricity supply companies, with 119 projects adding up to 1,003.85 MW, George said. The projects are intended to support solar power supply for agricultural uses, including irrigation wells.
The government is also preparing for higher electricity demand during the summer. George said steps were being taken to increase thermal power generation and ensure that all Karnataka Power Corporation Limited units remained available for generation. Coal stocks were also being maintained in sufficient quantities, he said.
Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta said Karnataka would receive an additional 1,000 MW of power from November 1. The state is separately procuring an additional 230 MW in advance from other power generators. A further 236 MW has been allocated to Karnataka from the central system through the eastern grid, Gupta said.
The supply measures place battery storage alongside generation capacity and power purchases in the state’s preparations for peak demand. Storage systems can help manage the timing of electricity supply, particularly as more solar generation is added, although the department did not provide a commissioning timeline, storage capacity or project locations for the proposed battery systems in the information reported from the meeting.
The review meeting was attended by Karnataka Power Corporation Limited Managing Director P. Rajendra Cholan, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited Managing Director Ram Prasath Manohar, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Managing Director K. Shivashankar and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited Managing Director Divya Prabhu G.R.J. The department did not announce a separate deadline for implementing the battery storage programme.
