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CEA Proposes Two-Fault Tolerance Safety Norms for Battery Energy Storage Systems
Jun 27, 2025
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has released draft amendments to its safety regulations for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), mandating a two-fault tolerance mechanism to prevent catastrophic failures. The Draft CEA (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2025, propose that BESS be capable of either continuing safe operation or shutting down even after two independent faults—such as overcharge, over-discharge, or short circuits—occur.
The draft outlines additional safety features, including chargers designed for specific battery chemistries and robust fire and explosion protection across multiple system levels (cell, module, container, and site). A Battery Management System (BMS) must monitor key parameters like voltage, temperature, and thermal runaway at both cell and module levels, and automatically halt operation if temperatures exceed safe limits.
Further, the Power Conversion System (PCS) should support automatic and unattended grid synchronization, self-protection, and diagnostics.
Experts like Arindam Ghosh from Nangia & Co welcomed the move, suggesting lifecycle-based safety regulations and differentiated safety tiers for grid-scale vs. behind-the-meter BESS. The regulation aims to enhance operational safety amid rising BESS adoption and reflects global best practices, including those under the EU Regulation 2023/1542.