India Proposes Mandatory Battery Storage for New Solar and Wind Projects from 2027

India Proposes Mandatory Battery Storage for New Solar and Wind Projects from 2027

September 5, 2026

New ground-mounted solar and onshore wind projects commissioned in India from July 1, 2027, will be required to include co-located battery storage equivalent to at least 10% of their installed capacity for a minimum of two hours, under draft regulations proposed by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

The draft rules introduce a two-tier framework aimed at addressing grid stability and renewable curtailment as clean energy capacity expands:

• Phase 1 (July 2027 – June 2029): Projects must feature a battery energy storage system (ESS) with a capacity equal to at least 10% of total generation capacity, capable of running for 2 hours (e.g., a 100 MW plant requires a 10 MW / 20 MWh system).

• Phase 2 (July 2029 – June 2031): The storage capacity requirement remains at 10%, but the minimum duration doubles to four hours (e.g., a 100 MW plant will require a 10 MW / 40 MWh system).

Additionally, the proposed regulations mandate that power conversion systems for battery storage and at least 15% of inverters in new renewable plants incorporate grid-forming controls to actively support grid stability.

The move shifts India’s clean-energy strategy from focusing purely on gigawatt-scale capacity additions to ensuring temporal flexibility and reducing power curtailment. The CEA has invited public and stakeholder comments on the draft regulations through October 4, 2026.