Wärtsilä believes energy storage is ‘only answer’ to India’s grid problems

Finland-based power firm Wärtsilä, which is active in the renewable energy and energy storage markets, plans to enter the Indian energy storage market, citing “looming” grid management challenges in the country.

Some Indian states, particularly in the south where energy demand is lower, already have high penetrations of renewable energy and grid integration is becoming increasingly stressed. Curtailment is a regular feature of wind and solar operators' lives in the state of Tamil Nadu for example.

In a release, Wärtsilä stated that India also faces peak energy shortages in certain states, at certain hours of the day, and during some seasons. The firm also believes that stand-alone energy storage is “the only answer” to these problems. It also claims that the need for flexibility has been acknowledge by Indian planners, electricity authorities and regulators who the Finnish company said have realised that widening networks to allow for inter-state transmission and better geographical distribution of power is not the only answer. Instead, Wärtsilä said that India would benefit from “instant-start, fast ramping technologies such as battery storage and gas-powered plants based on IC Engines”.

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