T’puram: The construction work of Kerala‘s first battery energy storage project would begin on Saturday. Electricity minister K Krishnankutty would set in motion the work of the 125 MW/500 MWh BESS (battery energy storage system) facility being set up near the 220KV substation at Mylatti in Kasaragod. It is being constructed by KSEB with the assistance of the central govt’s viability gap funding of Rs 135 crore, in collaboration with Solar Energy Corporation of India. This project is touted as the country’s first battery energy storage system capable of providing electricity continuously or intermittently for four hours. BESS stores electricity from solar power plants and other sources at a lower cost during the day in high-capacity batteries, making it available during peak evening hours. “The project, with an investment of approximately Rs 550 crore, is being implemented on a build-own-operate model based on tariffs without any upfront payment,” KSEB said in a statement on Friday. The construction cost of the BESS project can be covered from the savings in peak-time electricity purchase costs. This project, which requires a relatively short construction period, is expected to be completed in Oct 2026.
