Honeywell commissioned India’ s first on-grid solar BESS to decarbonize Lakshadweep

New Delhi: Honeywell Automation India Limited (HAIL) has commissioned a microgrid Battery Energy and Storage System (BESS) in India, for the Solar Energy Corporation of India’s (SECI) Lakshadweep Islands project.
As per the official statement, SECI’s Lakshadweep Islands project is the country’s first on-grid solar initiative that uses BESS to manage the supply of renewable power.

The project aimed to decarbonize the island’s energy supply by integrating renewable power into the grid.
For the Lakshadweep project, Honeywell is supplying its Energy Management System (EMS)/Microgrid controller and Power Plant Controller to manage the distribution of renewable energy, as well as a range of BESS sub-systems.

It delivered the end-to-end solution to SunSource Energy Private Limited, a leading solar company in India for its contract from Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd.
The project was inaugurated by the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We are committed to supporting India’s energy transition and energy self-reliance initiative by driving constant technology and software innovation to participate in the country’s Net Zero 2070 goal. To get there, new power/energy sources will be required, including renewables” said Ashish Gaikwad, Vice President and General Manager, of Honeywell Industrial Automation India.

“Honeywell’s BESS technology is one of the fundamental enablers of this transition. The integration of our BESS technology into the Lakshadweep microgrid system is a positive step forward in this journey, and we are proud to play a critical role” he added.

Honeywell’s BESS technology includes a portfolio of solutions to help power producers store and distribute renewable energy.

At present, nearly all the consumed power and energy in Lakshadweep is provided by diesel generator units.

These large petroleum-based generators have high carbon emissions and further have a dependency on the mainland for fuel, which increases the average cost of electricity.

Santanu Guha, CEO, SunSource Energy said, “We are very happy to play a pivotal role in this landmark project that supports the energy transition efforts of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and that aligns with our commitment to advancing sustainable projects that contribute to the country’s net-zero goals.”

As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the 1.7MWp Solar and 1.4MWh BESS-enabled Lakshadweep project aims to save ₹2500 million over the lifetime, reduce diesel consumption by 19.8 million litres, and offset 58000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

“This project addresses the energy challenges of Lakshadweep and aligns seamlessly with the broader national objective of promoting green energy,” said Shreedhar Singh, Additional General Manager at SECI.

The successful delivery and commissioning of Honeywell’s pioneering battery energy and storage system in the Lakshadweep Islands Project signifies a significant step towards decarbonization and wider accessibility of power in support of the nation’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions.