India Needs 10 GWh of BESS to Prevent Renewable Energy Curtailment: Ember

India needs around 10 GWh of battery energy storage capacity immediately to prevent renewable energy curtailment caused by the operational limitations of coal-fired power plants, according to a new analysis by energy think tank Ember.

The report estimates that India curtailed nearly 2.1 TWh of renewable energy during FY26 because coal-fired generating units could not reduce output below their minimum technical load (MTL), forcing grid operators to cut solar and wind generation despite available clean power.