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Govt Finalising Battery Storage PLI Bidding, Tweaks Nuclear Laws to Attract Private Players

The government is in the final stages of rolling out major energy reforms, focusing on nuclear power, battery storage, and green hydrogen, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said. Committees under the Department of Atomic Energy have proposed amendments to the Atomic Energy Act and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, paving the way for private sector participation in designing, building, and operating nuclear plants.

On energy storage, the minister confirmed that the selection of bidders under the 10 GWh Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC)-PLI scheme is nearing completion, with bidding documents in the final approval stage. Additionally, the government has cleared a viability gap funding programme for ~43 GWh of battery energy storage projects and waived ISTS charges for renewable projects with storage.

Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, pilot projects will soon be invited to test hydrogen for decentralised uses like cooking and heating. A new bioenergy scheme with wider scope is also being prepared. Meanwhile, India is finalising its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ahead of COP30.

To tackle renewables’ intermittency, 13 Renewable Energy Management Centres are operational for real-time monitoring, while states are being pushed to expedite land availability for wind and hybrid projects. Wind-rich states such as Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Karnataka have been asked to reserve high-potential sites exclusively for wind development.