India Proposes Mandatory Energy Storage and Grid-Forming Inverters for New Renewable Projects

India’s Central Electricity Authority has proposed new technical requirements that would require renewable energy projects to incorporate grid-forming inverters and energy storage systems from 2027.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), under India’s Ministry of Power, has proposed new technical standards aimed at strengthening grid stability and reliability as the country accelerates renewable energy integration.

The proposals are included in the Draft Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Construction of Electric Plants and Electric Lines) 2nd Amendment Regulations, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on September 3, 2026.

Grid-Forming Inverters for Renewable Projects

Under the proposed regulations, renewable energy power plants commissioned on or after July 1, 2027 would be required to have at least 15% of their inverters equipped with grid-forming control.

Grid-forming technology allows inverter-based resources to provide stronger support to the electricity grid, including improved system stability as conventional generation is increasingly complemented by solar and wind power.

The CEA has also proposed that all Power Conversion Systems (PCS) used in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) must have grid-forming capabilities.

The measure is designed to strengthen the ability of battery storage systems to support grid operations under changing power system conditions.

Mandatory Energy Storage for Solar and Wind Projects

The draft regulation also proposes mandatory co-located Energy Storage Systems (ESS) for certain renewable energy projects.

Ground-mounted solar power plants and onshore wind power plants commissioned after July 1, 2027 would be required to install energy storage equivalent to at least 10% of the plant’s installed capacity, with a minimum storage duration of two hours.

For example, a 100MW solar power plant would need at least 10MW of co-located energy storage, providing a minimum storage capacity of 20MWh.

Storage Duration to Increase to Four Hours

The proposed requirements would become more stringent for projects commissioned between July 1, 2029 and June 30, 2031.

During this period, the minimum ESS power capacity would remain at 10% of the renewable plant’s installed capacity, while the required storage duration would increase from two hours to four hours.

For a 100MW renewable project, this would mean at least 10MW/40MWh of energy storage.

Supporting India’s Renewable Energy Transition

The proposed measures reflect India’s growing focus on energy storage and advanced inverter technologies as renewable penetration increases.

By combining grid-forming inverters, BESS and co-located ESS, the new technical framework aims to improve grid flexibility, stability and resilience while enabling the electricity system to accommodate larger volumes of variable renewable generation.

The CEA has invited comments, objections and suggestions from industry stakeholders and members of the public.

The deadline for submissions is October 4, 2026, after which the feedback will be considered before the proposed regulations are finalized.