Innovative Energy Solutions: SECI Paves the Way with 500 MW Solar Thermal Initiative

SECI’s Solar Thermal Project: A Major Boost for India’s Renewable Energy SectorThe Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), the marketing division of Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), has floated for 500 megawatts (MW) of solar thermal power capacity before the end of the fiscal year 2025. This is the signature bid for all emerging aspects of renewable energy in India and underlines the strategic role that advanced high-tech will play in solar-based power generation. Highlighting the strategic importance of harnessing solar thermal technology, R. P. Gupta, chairman and managing director of SECI, expressed the corporation’s commitment to the solar thermal plant at India Energy Storage Week 2024 (IESW) in New Delhi. He pointed out that this system has been designed especially for the generation of steam using heat from CSP during the day and its subsequent use in driving steam turbines for electricity production. This emphasizes the state-owned company’s commitment to an eco-friendly mindset that matches GOI’s focus on clean energy and may be transformative for the renewable industry. These insights were made at the India Energy Storage Week 2024, hosted by India's Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), set against the backdrop of broader deliberations on the subjects of energy storage, grid modernization, and decarbonization of industrial sectors. Leading authorities from the government and industry at IESA emphasized the need for a robust regulatory framework and technological development to assist in balancing the grid with increased renewable capacity. In this context, the need for regulatory support to ensure the provision of grid-balancing services was also raised during the IESW meetings. Jishnu Barua, Chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), stated that “thermal power requires no fuel and has a much lower carbon footprint than renewables,” hinting at the evolving power sector in the country. Barua alluded to a “rapidly evolving regulatory landscape" that is taking root in every state seeking to use energy storage to optimize network efficiency, self-consumption, and generation, while also discussing the expected regulatory changes aimed at reducing energy storage costs to stimulate the requisite market demand for renewables to be instigated with immediate effect. Industry insiders enshrined the importance of scaling up energy storage to meet India’s increasing demands within net-zero emissions targets at IESW 2024. Furthermore, technology such as gravity storage and CO2 stone storage could provide leaps and bounds in improving energy storage capabilities as well as inviting a greener way to store electricity. Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, president and managing director of CES India and president of IESA, insisted on the significance of safety and the use of technology in increasing the availability of stored energy. This emphasis was echoed by speakers from the business sector who promote stronger policies for efficiency, telling attendees, “Safety first.” Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), spoke on challenges that impact the transmission of power across various parts of the country during this time. He noted that the integration of renewable energy sources would be an important component in optimizing grid architecture capacity planning because they are natively intermittent, requiring storage backstop technology for balancing purposes. With the awarding of SECI’s 500 MW solar thermal tender, India has made it clear that it will never cease developing its renewable energy program. Therefore, the Indian government is signaling its eagerness to improve the ease of innovation and invest in clean energy to promote and ensure the survival of the next generation. To alleviate the problem of grid congestion and provide greater renewable energy capacity along with energy security to India on its path of sustainable development, initiatives like SECI’s solar thermal tender can make that difference. In conclusion, as a nod to SECI’s planned 500 MW solar thermal tender—a method to find new ways that the government can help out with renewable energy search.