Image for representation.
The second phase of the proposed 100 MW Kasaragod solar park project will have a battery energy storage system alongside it, as per a decision taken by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The decision is meant to help power crisis-hit Keralam to meet its evening-hour peak demand.
The 50 MW/100 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) alongside phase II of the solar park will also complement the five BESS projects already under development by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to tap the surge in Keralam’s solar power capacity.
(MW rating denotes the maximum amount of power that a BESS system can deliver at a given moment. MWh indicates the total amount of energy that the system can store.)
Revised DPR
The MNRE had accorded approval for the establishment of the 100 MW Kasaragod Solar Park Phase-II at Cheemeni, Kasaragod district, on February 1, 2024. In April, 2026, a revised detailed project report (DPR) incorporating the BESS was approved by the MNRE.
“In view of the acute power shortage in Keralam during the peak demand period, a 50 MW BESS is proposed alongside a 100 MW solar power plant. The KSEB has approved floating a tender for 50 MW with two-hour BESS,” the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) observed in its June 2026 ‘Status Report on Development of Solar Parks/Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks in the Country.’
As per the sanctioned DPR, all activities related to the solar project are to be completed on or before April 6, 2028.
Monitoring committee
Meanwhile, the KSEB has also constituted a monitoring committee to oversee the implementation and progress of the solar park project’s phase II. The eight-member panel is headed by the Power Secretary and has senior officials of the KSEB and the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (Anert) as its members. The Chief Executive Officer, Renewable Power Corporation of Kerala Limited (RPCKL), is the convener of the committee.
The KSEB is currently developing BESS projects at Mylatty and Mulleria in Kasaragod district, Areacode in Malappuram, Sreekandapuram in Kannur, and Pothencode in Thiruvananthapuram. These are expected to be ready by the end of the year.
Published – October 04, 2026 04:10 pm IST
