India's eyes creation of energy storage regulating body

It aims to build a policy framework that urges manufacturing and innovation, amongst others.

An expert committee under India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has proposed a draft for the creation of the National Energy Storage Mission (NESM). The NESM, under the draft proposal, aims to for leadership in the energy storage sector by creating an enabling policy and regulatory framework that encourages manufacturing, deployment, innovation and further cost reduction. The expert committee was formed last February 2018.

A joint report between NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute proposed a three-stage solution approach for India’s Energy Storage Mission: creating an environment for battery manufacturing growth, scaling supply chain strategies, and scaling of battery cell manufacturing.

India has identified Energy Storage as one of the country's most crucial and critical components of its energy infrastructure strategy, an announcement said. It also said Energy Storage will support India's sustained thrust into renewable energy. Amongst the key areas for energy storage application are: integrating renewable energy with distribution and transmission grids, setting rural micro grids with diversified loads or stand-alone systems, and developing Storage component of electric mobility plans.

The Indian government is allocating US$10m to energy storage, clean coal, and wastewater treatment, union minister for science & technology, earth science and environment, forests & climate change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan previously said. India also announced that time that the Indo–US Joint Clean Energy Research (PACE–R) the new collaborative public-private programme on Smart Grids & Energy Storage has been approved.