SDPI unveils battery storage roadmap

Pakistan faces growing power grid issues that may be alleviated through strategic deployment of battery storage technology, according to a new SDPI study. The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), in partnership with the Network for Clean Energy Transition (NCET), unveiled the research on Monday. Titled "Optimal Siting of Grid-Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Pakistan," the report lays out a data-driven roadmap for locating grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) nationwide.

The study outlines four primary objectives: creating a data-driven siting framework for BESS, reducing congestion and curtailment, developing a business case aligned with CPEC 2.0, and formulating a policy and regulatory roadmap. Interviewees highlighted potential benefits, including enhanced grid flexibility, integration of variable renewable energies, curtailing curtailment, and addressing transmission bottlenecks.

Dr Kashif Imran, a professor at the US-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Energy at NUST, emphasized that the study, while transmission-focused, uncovered vital insights into optimal BESS siting. However, he noted ongoing confusion regarding its broader deployment. Still, he suggested a three-tier approach to investing in storage technology and underscored the importance of harnessing data analytics more effectively.

Muhammad Umer, a research associate at SDPI, presented the study's findings, stating that Pakistan's power sector still grapples with significant Energy Not Served (ENS) losses of 2.77 GWh annually. BESS deployment could help mitigate these losses by enabling targeted applications in areas where the technology can be most effective.

The research involved a network-wide screening of 500 kV and 220 kV grid stations in Pakistan, evaluating candidate sites such as Shikarpur, Faisalabad, Dadu, and Rawat using a ranking-based methodology. Criteria included technical and locational parameters. Umer called for mandatory BESS modelling in the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP), integration into Transmission System Expansion Planning (TSEP) cycles, adoption of bottom-up forecasting, and establishment of a national BESS deployment roadmap.