Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the Energy Storage for Renewable Energy Integration in India (StoREin) project. This collaboration aims to demonstrate the technical and commercial feasibility of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) within Gujarat’s power distribution network, while also developing policy and regulatory recommendations to promote large-scale adoption of energy storage across India.

The StoREin project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) under the International Climate Initiative (IKI), works closely with India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). TERI, supported by its consortium partners—Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology (Fraunhofer IEE), IIT Bombay, and WRI India—will contribute through applied research, pilot demonstrations, and policy advocacy.

Gujarat, a leader in renewable energy development and rooftop solar installations, has been at the forefront of advancing India’s Nationally Determined Contributions announced by the Prime Minister. GUVNL has already initiated utility-scale energy storage tendering to address renewable energy intermittency. With the rapid growth of renewables at the distribution level, the need for reliable energy storage solutions at substations and feeder points has become essential for maintaining grid stability and meeting rising power demands.

The MoU outlines a comprehensive programme of activities, starting with pre-feasibility studies to evaluate the benefits, siting, and sizing of BESS for different applications in GUVNL’s network. Based on these assessments, commercially viable business models for energy storage deployment will be developed. TERI will prepare a Detailed Project Report, after which GUVNL will invite tenders for the pilot project. A demonstration project will then be implemented within GUVNL’s distribution system to showcase real-world performance.

Mr Bernhard Voelcker, Head of the StoREin Project at GIZ India, emphasized the importance of identifying multiple use cases for energy storage systems and proving their financial viability through practical demonstrations. Alekhya Datta, Fellow & Director at TERI, highlighted that battery energy storage pilots are critical for accelerating the clean energy transition, noting that strategic partnerships and collaborative research are essential for success.

Reinforcing GUVNL’s commitment, Sourav Nandy, GM, F&A at GUVNL, stated that this MoU represents a major step forward in strengthening Gujarat’s green energy transition. He stressed the value of collaborative studies on renewable energy integration with storage, which will further solidify the state’s power sector for the future. As India moves toward achieving its ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity by 2030, the GIZ–TERI–GUVNL partnership under StoREin represents a crucial step in unlocking decentralized energy storage solutions. The pilot and demonstration project in Gujarat is expected to serve as a replicable model for enhancing renewable energy integration, improving grid resilience, and supporting India’s broader clean energy ambitions.