Wärtsilä brings energy storage solutions to India

Neeraj Sharma, President and Managing Director, Wärtsilä India

Wärtsilä, a global supplier of flexible and efficient energy solutions, has announced that it will offer technically and environmentally advanced energy storage solutions to the power markets in India. Following the acquisition of Greensmith Energy Management Systems Inc. in May this year, Wärtsilä Energy Solutions has become a major system integrator, providing both stand-alone energy storage as well as hybridised energy systems, control software and integration expertise.

Even though India has achieved a certain level of adequacy in power generation capacity, a granular analysis of data shows that peak/energy shortages exist in certain states and/or in peak hours and certain seasons. A closer look also reveals that there are serious challenges, existing and looming, when it comes to grid management and in ensuring high standards of reliability. The only answer is stand-alone energy storage.

Javier Cavada Camino, President, Energy Solutions, and Executive Vice-President of Wärtsilä Corporation, said, “Adding energy storage technology enables customers to have instant power while saving fuel and maintenance costs. The growing capacity of renewable generation, including solar PV, becomes more sustainable and attractive when integrated with advanced energy storage.”

It is acknowledged by planners, electricity authorities and regulators that reliable grid management will require system operators to be equipped with more flexible means at their disposal. Apart from widening the transmission network to ensure geographical distribution and balancing of loads, flexible generation options must be encouraged. Hydro plants are technically best-suited, but are constrained by site considerations, seasonality and competing demand from irrigation needs.

To fill such a need, instant-start, fast ramping technologies such as battery storage and gas-powered plants based on IC Engines are growing in popularity in many countries, especially in the context of RE-balancing. And they are proving to be invaluable tools for the system operator to respond rapidly to any contingency. The Indian grid, which has among the largest RE content in the world, and has adequate capacity but not sufficient flexibility, will benefit from such solutions.