In a significant milestone for India’s clean energy transition, Shri Manohar Lal, Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, today inaugurated the country’s largest and first megawatt-hour-scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system with a capacity of 3 MWh. The project marks a major advancement in long-duration energy storage (LDES), designed to bolster renewable energy integration and strengthen grid stability.
The inauguration took place at NETRA, the R&D centre of NTPC Limited in Greater Noida, where the Minister was accompanied by Shri Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary (Power), Shri Piyush Singh, Additional Secretary, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Power. Shri Gurdeep Singh, CMD of NTPC, welcomed the dignitaries and highlighted the innovation’s potential in supporting India’s sustainable energy mission.
The Vanadium Redox Flow Battery represents a breakthrough in large-scale storage technology, offering a viable alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries. By leveraging vanadium-based electrolytes, the system allows for extended life cycles, safer operations, and scalable capacity — expanding India’s portfolio of materials and technologies for energy storage.
During his address, Shri Manohar Lal praised the NETRA R&D team for their pioneering efforts in developing indigenous solutions that contribute to both energy security and the green transition. He noted that India’s growing technological expertise is setting new global standards for innovation in renewable energy and storage.
The Minister was also briefed on NTPC’s ongoing research in Carbon Capture, Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage, and Waste-to-Energy Technologies — areas that align with the government’s roadmap for a cleaner and more self-reliant energy future.
As part of his visit, Shri Manohar Lal inspected several demonstration plants at NTPC NETRA, including the Green Hydrogen Mobility Plant, STP Water-based Green Hydrogen Plant, Solid Oxide-based High-Temperature Steam Electrolyzer, MSW-RDF Enhanced Steam Gasification Plant, and AC Microgrid (4 MWp & 1 MWh Li-NMC BESS), in addition to state-of-the-art NABL-accredited laboratories.
The launch of the 3 MWh VRFB system underscores India’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge energy storage technologies and achieving its renewable energy goals through indigenous research and innovation.
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