Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power company and a trusted electricity provider to around 800,000 residential and commercial consumers, has received approval from the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) to install a 100 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Mumbai over the next two years.
The state-of-the-art BESS, featuring advanced ‘black start’ functionality, will enable rapid restoration of power to critical infrastructure—such as metro systems, hospitals, airports, and data centers—during grid disruptions. This will mitigate the risk of widespread blackouts and significantly strengthen the resilience of Mumbai’s power network. Additionally, the BESS’s sophisticated technology will optimize reactive power management, improving efficiency during peak demand and bolstering the city’s power infrastructure.
With its high ramp-rate capability, the BESS will aid in managing peak loads, ensuring a stable and balanced power supply even during periods of high demand. It will also lower power purchase costs by storing energy during off-peak, low-cost periods and using it during high-cost peak hours, helping to reduce tariffs for consumers. Furthermore, the system will enable capital expenditure (capex) deferral by reducing the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades and effectively managing load fluctuations with stored energy.
In addition to improving grid reliability, the BESS will provide ancillary services such as frequency regulation and voltage support, enhancing overall grid stability. It will also facilitate better utilization of solar energy by storing surplus daytime power and making it available during peak demand, contributing to greater renewable energy integration and increasing Green Energy consumption. The deployment of BESS by Tata Power will also fulfill energy storage obligations.
The 100 MW system will be distributed across 10 strategically located sites, mainly near key load centers in Mumbai, and will be centrally monitored and controlled from Tata Power’s Power System Control Center (PSCC).
Looking ahead, Tata Power plans to integrate the BESS into its Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) to further enhance operational efficiency. In line with its commitment to “Safety First,” Tata Power will incorporate three layers of temperature monitoring and fire suppression systems at the cell, module, and rack levels within the BESS. The system will feature high round-trip efficiency with reduced auxiliary consumption, enhancing operational performance and extending the storage system’s lifespan to support Mumbai’s energy sustainability goals.
As renewable energy adoption accelerates, BESS plays a critical role in facilitating a smoother transition. Compared to traditional alternatives, BESS offers a more cost-effective, faster-to-deploy solution with a shorter gestation period, making it a vital enabler of clean energy adoption.
With this initiative, Tata Power Mumbai continues to lead in technology innovation and sustainability, reinforcing its commitment to providing reliable, efficient, and future-ready power solutions for the city.
