Battery & Energy Storage Magazine

BESS Fire Safety Standards in India

BESS Fire Safety Standards in India: What Rules Actually Apply?

BESS Explosion Risk: When Battery Off-Gassing Becomes an Explosion Hazard

BESS Explosion Risk: When Battery Off-Gassing Becomes an Explosion Hazard

IESA, Industry Leaders Push India to Accelerate EV Adoption

World EV Day: IESA, Industry Leaders Push India to Accelerate EV Adoption

BESS Fire Suppression: Can Fire Suppression Systems Actually Stop a Battery Fire?

Exide Energy Solutions Completes Phase-I Commissioning of 6 GWh Lithium-Ion Cell Facility in Bengaluru

Exide Energy Solutions Completes Phase-I Commissioning of 6 GWh Lithium-Ion Cell Facility in Bengaluru

September 23, 2026

Exide Energy Solutions Limited (EESL), a material subsidiary of Exide Industries Limited, has completed the commissioning of Phase-I of its lithium-ion cell manufacturing facility at Devanahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The company…

Solex Energy Sets Rs 4,500 Crore Revenue Target for FY28

Solex Energy Sets Rs 4,500 Crore Revenue Target for FY28

September 23, 2026

Oswal Pumps Wins 46.7 MW Solar Order from TGREDCO

Oswal Pumps Wins 46.7 MW Solar Order from TGREDCO

September 23, 2026

Sunstream Green Energy Appoints Mitish Somani as Chief Financial Officer

Sunstream Green Energy Appoints Mitish Somani as Chief Financial Officer

September 23, 2026

Rechargion Deploys 1 kWh Locally Manufactured Sodium-Ion Battery at CII Facility

Rechargion Deploys 1 kWh Locally Manufactured Sodium-Ion Battery at CII Facility

September 23, 2026

Instamart Partners with Yulu, Yuma Energy to Expand EV Battery Swapping Network

Instamart Partners with Yulu, Yuma Energy to Expand EV Battery Swapping Network

September 23, 2026

Ceigall India Commissions 5 MW Solar Power Plant in Maharashtra

Ceigall India Commissions 5 MW Solar Power Plant in Maharashtra

MSEDCL Awards 2 GW/4 GWh BESS Capacity at Rs 2.38–2.40 Lakh/MW/Month

MSEDCL Awards 2 GW/4 GWh BESS Capacity at Rs 2.38–2.40 Lakh/MW/Month

Global Pulse

TreadStone Technologies appoints Eric Shepardson Chief Executive Officer

TreadStone Technologies appoints Eric Shepardson Chief Executive Officer

September 23, 2026

Sungrow Expands Home Energy Solutions Across Benelux

Sungrow Expands Home Energy Solutions Across Benelux

September 23, 2026

HiTHIUM Unveils 4 MWh Sodium-Ion Energy Storage System with 785 Ah Cell

HiTHIUM Unveils 4 MWh Sodium-Ion Energy Storage System with 785 Ah Cell

September 23, 2026

Hitachi Energy’s BESS qualifies as NVIDIA DSX Ready BESS

Hitachi Energy’s BESS qualifies as NVIDIA DSX Ready BESS

September 23, 2026

Tenders

NTPC REL Floats Tender for 215 MW Wind Power Project in Madhya Pradesh

NTPC REL Floats Tender for 215 MW Wind Power Project in Madhya Pradesh

NTPC REL (NTPC Renewable Energy Limited) has invited bids for the development of a 215 MW…

Coal India Invites Bids for 80 MW/320 MWh BESS Project in Odisha

Coal India Invites Bids for 80 MW/320 MWh BESS Project in Odisha

Coal India Limited (CIL), on behalf of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), has invited bids for…

GAIL Invites Bids for PMC Services

GAIL Invites Bids for PMC Services for 100 MW Solar Project with 22 MWh BESS in Maharashtra

GAIL (India) Limited has invited bids for the appointment of a Project Management Consultant (PMC)…

NPCL Floats Tender for 300 MW Round-the-Clock Renewable Power

NPCL Floats Tender for 300 MW Round-the-Clock Renewable Power

Noida Power Company Limited (NPCL) has invited bids to select renewable energy developers for the…

BSPGCL Floats bess Tender

BSPGCL Floats Tender for 125 MW/500 MWh Battery Energy Storage System in Bihar

Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL) has floated a tender for the development of…

Batteries

EcoFlow launches New 8kWh Battery for High-Capacity Home Energy Storage

EcoFlow launches New 8kWh Battery for High-Capacity Home Energy Storage

September 23, 2026

EcoFlow is expanding its professional home energy portfolio with the introduction of a new 8kWh residential battery, offering installers a more streamlined solution for developing higher-capacity home energy storage systems. The new battery was unveiled at Solar & Storage Live Birmingham 2026 and provides greater storage capacity within a single module. This allows installers to…

CATL Starts Trial Production at New Battery Cell Plant in Hungary

CATL Starts Trial Production at New Battery Cell Plant in Hungary

September 23, 2026

Exide Energy International Enters Long-Term Cooperation Agreement With ExCom Energy Solutions

Exide Energy International Enters Long-Term Cooperation Agreement With ExCom Energy Solutions

September 22, 2026

Attero Operationalises Greater Noida R&D Centre to Advance Critical Mineral Recovery Technologies

Attero Operationalises Greater Noida R&D Centre to Advance Critical Mineral Recovery Technologies

September 22, 2026

Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Secures Rs 985 Crore Orders in India and South Africa

Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Secures Rs 985 Crore Orders in India and South Africa

September 22, 2026

LG Energy Solution’s BESS Qualifies as NVIDIA DSX Ready BESS

LG Energy Solution’s BESS Qualifies as NVIDIA DSX Ready BESS

September 22, 2026

Solidion Technology Board Appoints Jaymes Winters as Chairman and CEO

Solidion Technology Names Jaymes Winters Chairman & CEO, Mark Schwartz Lead Director

September 21, 2026

Solar Energy

Avaada Group Elevates Altaf Tamboli to Vice President

Avaada Group Elevates Altaf Tamboli to Vice President

Avaada Group has elevated Altaf Tamboli to the position of Vice President, recognising his extensive…

Inox Clean Energy Nears Rs 2,500 Crore Acquisition of Athena Renewables

Inox Clean Energy Nears Rs 2,500 Crore Acquisition of Athena Renewables

AMPIN Energy Transition secures Equity Investment of $100 million from Norfund to accelerate renewable energy transition in India

AMPIN Energy Transition secures Equity Investment of $100 million from Norfund to accelerate renewable energy transition in India

SECI to Continue Driving India’s Clean Energy Vision: Shripad Yesso Naik

SECI to Continue Driving India’s Clean Energy Vision: Shripad Yesso Naik

Smarten Power Systems Unveils 7 New Solutions at REV Expo 2026

Smarten Power Systems Unveils 7 New Solutions at REV Expo 2026

Magazine Exclusive

From Silent Component to Strategic Enabler: The Rising Importance of Battery Separators in the Global Energy Transition

As the world moves quickly toward electrification, lithium-ion batteries are now central to…

The BESS Value Chain: Knowing Critical Skills Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) have moved to the center of the power sector, stabilizing grids and enabling new business models. As governments and industries across the world invest in BESS, a quieter constraint is emerging – the availability of people with right skills, at the right stage and in the right geography. This article walks through the BESS value chain, maps the critical skilling needs, and uses real-world examples to highlight workforce readiness. The value-chain approach helps with effective skilling and workforce planning. Cell manufacturing is the most capital-intensive and technically demanding segment of the battery value chain. Domestic cell manufacturing plays a critical role in strengthening energy storage ecosystems and reducing import dependence. It includes: - Materials and chemistry R&D (cathode, anode, electrolyte, separator) - Electrode production (mixing, coating, calendaring) - Cell assembly (stacking/winding, electrolyte filling, formation, ageing) Skills required here include electrochemistry, process engineering, advanced automation, quality control, safety engineering, and clean-room operations. Leading cell manufacturers have built large in-house training ecosystems to continuously upgrade workforce capabilities as battery chemistries evolve. Module and pack assembly: Cells are combined into modules and packs with mechanical structures, thermal management and electrical interconnections. This stage is often closer to end markets and can be co-located with EV plants or BESS integrators. Key skills include: - Precision welding (laser, ultrasonic) - Busbar design and electrical interconnection design - Thermal design and validation - Battery Management System (BMS) integration - Robotics and automation programming - Line maintenance and troubleshooting Compared with cell manufacturing, module and pack assembly can create more technician roles, however, automation is rapidly changing the nature of these jobs towards robotics and mechatronics (India Manufacturing Workforce, 2025). System integration and project delivery is one of the fastest growing and most important stages of the BESS ecosystem. System integrators turn packs into complete BESS solutions by adding: - Power Conversion Systems (PCS) - Energy Management Systems (EMS) and SCADA - Protection, safety & fire detection and suppression systems - Civil, electrical and grid-connection infrastructure This stage demands inter-disciplinary skill sets: power systems engineering, software and controls, cybersecurity, grid codes, project management and HSE (health, safety and environment). Finding engineers who bridge power electronics and software is one of the biggest hiring challenges (Cleantech, 2026). Operation, maintenance and end-of-life: Once commissioned, BESS assets require: - Monitoring and predictive maintenance - Performance analytics and warranty management - Safety inspections and incident response - Second-life assessment and recycling logistics Here, skills blend field service, data analytics, remote asset monitoring, safety management and regulatory compliance (for example, extended producer responsibility and hazardous waste rules). As more systems reach mid-life, demand is rising for specialists in diagnostics, repowering and recycling. (NITI Aayog, Deloitte, GIZ) To summarize, three patterns stand out for BESS workforce landscape: 1. Geographic concentration: Cell manufacturing jobs are concentrated in China, Europe and North America with other regions racing to catch up through policy and gigafactory initiatives. (European Commission, JRC, 2026) 2. Skill polarization: Demand is growing fastest for high-skill roles (electrochemists, automation engineers, power electronics specialists, data scientists, grid integration experts), while low-skill assembly roles are increasingly automated. (India Manufacturing Workforce, 2025 and ACC PLI impact report, 2026) 3. Timing mismatch: Gigafactories and BESS projects are being announced and built faster than local training systems can produce qualified workers. 4. Talent competition: EV manufacturing, semiconductor production, renewable-energy integration, and advanced manufacturing industries are often competing for the same engineering and automation talent pools. While policies are expected to create tens of thousands of jobs over the coming decade, industry surveys consistently highlight a shortage of: - Experienced cell and pack manufacturing engineers - BMS and power electronics specialists - Safety and certification experts - Skilled technicians for automated lines and field O&M A significant challenge is gap between academic training and industry requirements. Many engineering programs still lack - battery specific curriculum, hands on laboratory exposure, industry-linked certification pathways and interdisciplinary learning modules. This is where the value chain lens becomes particularly useful: different stages require different skilling strategies. Skilling needs across BESS value chain: The rise of hybrid roles One of the most striking trends is the rise of the hybrid roles that cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries, e.g. electrochemistry + data science for cell performance analytics, electrical engineering + cybersecurity for grid-connected storage systems etc. Industry interviews and surveys repeatedly note that these hybrid profiles are the hardest to hire and retain, especially outside established clusters. (Worldmetrics, 2026, and Cleantech 2025) What industry and policy makers need to do Reports by IEA, European Commission, World Metrics, India’s ACC PLI impact study and industry experiences summarize key aspects: 1. Integrate skills planning into project planning: Workforce planning, training partnerships and curriculum development should be a part of the early project design for gigafactories and large BESS programs, not an afterthought. 2. Invest in hybrid profiles: Programs that deliberately blend power systems, software, data and safety will pay the highest dividends, because these are the roles that unlock system-level performance and reliability. 3. Use automation as a skilling lever (not a substitute): Automation and AI should be paired with structured upskilling for operators and technicians, turning them into higher-value problem solvers rather than displacing them without a pathway. 4. Build regional centers of excellence: Shared training centers, test beds, certification labs can reduce duplication and raise standards, especially in markets where individual firms may not have the scale to do everything alone. 5. Embed diversity and inclusion from the start: Where companies have proactively recruited and supported women and under-represented groups into technical roles, they have expanded their talent pool and improved retention. Making this a design principle, not a side project, will be critical as competition for skills intensifies. 6. Strengthen Industry-Academia collaboration: Battery-focused curriculum, apprenticeships, certification programs, hands-on labs should be developed jointly by educational institutions and industry stakeholders. Conclusion: The real storage constraint is human. The BESS industry is often described in terms of gigawatt, gigawatt-hours and gigafactories. But behind every line of capacity is a line of people: technicians, engineers, project managers, safety officers, data analysts and many others. If industry and policymakers treat skilling with the same urgency as they treat financing and permitting, then nothing can stop the BESS sector from growing into a resilient, high-quality backbone of the clean energy system. We just need to realize that skills are as strategic as materials and capital. - Aditi Pathak, Senior Manager IESA Academy, Customized Energy Solutions (CES) India - Sweta Jha, Assistant Manager L&D, Replus Engitech Pvt Ltd

The BESS Value Chain: Knowing Critical Skills

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) have moved to the center of the power…

Renewable energy

WAAREE TRANSPOWER Appoints Neeraj Goyal as Chief Executive Officer

WAAREE TRANSPOWER Appoints Neeraj Goyal as Chief Executive Officer

September 22, 2026

WAAREE TRANSPOWER has appointed Neeraj Goyal as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), strengthening its leadership team as the company continues…

WAAREE TRANSPOWER Appoints Rahul Chauhan as Vice President – Sales

WAAREE TRANSPOWER Appoints Rahul Chauhan as Vice President – Sales

September 22, 2026

India’s Wind Industry Eyes Global Growth as EU-India Wind Energy Business Summit Brings Industry Leaders Together in Hamburg

India’s Wind Industry Eyes Global Growth as EU-India Wind Energy Business Summit Brings Industry Leaders Together in Hamburg

September 22, 2026

Windergy India 2026 Highlights India’s 100 GW Wind Energy Goal

Windergy India 2026 Highlights India’s 100 GW Wind Energy Goal

September 21, 2026

CM Fadnavis Hails Avaada Superfactory in Nagpur

CM Fadnavis Hails Avaada Superfactory in Nagpur, Calls for Regional Investment

September 21, 2026

Appointments

Policy

Odisha Amends Renewable Energy Policy, Boosts Wind and BESS

Odisha Cabinet Approves Key OREP 2022 Amendments; Extends RE Incentives, Removes Wind Cap and Pushes BESS

The Odisha Cabinet has approved a set of amendments to the Odisha Renewable Energy Policy…

CEA Sets New Technical Rulebook for Renewable Energy

CEA Sets New Technical Rulebook for Renewable Energy and Battery Storage Projects

KSEB Makes BEE-Certified Inverters Mandatory for Solar Projects up to 100 kW

KSEB Makes BEE-Certified Inverters Mandatory for Solar Projects up to 100 kW

Central Electricity Authority Organizes an All-India Electrical Safety Awareness Programme

Central Electricity Authority Organizes an All-India Electrical Safety Awareness Programme

India Launches Green Hydrogen Certification Portal

India Launches Green Hydrogen Certification Portal, Announces Startup Support and Policy Expansion

Wind Energy

Kshema Power Targets 10 Wind Turbine Foundations

Kshema Power Targets 10 Wind Turbine Foundations a Month with Dedicated In-House Batching Plants

Kshema Power has enhanced its renewable energy project execution capabilities with the successful commissioning of…

Juniper Green Energy Adds 101 MW Wind Capacity

Juniper Green Energy Adds 101 MW Wind Capacity Across Three States, Expands Operational Portfolio to 2,689 MWp with 503 MWh BESS

Juniper Green Energy Limited has commissioned 101 MW of wind power capacity across Gujarat, Maharashtra,…

Enviro Infra Secures Rs 224 Crore EPC Order for 180 MW Wind Project

Enviro Infra Secures Rs 224 Crore EPC Order for 180 MW Wind Project

Enviro Infra Engineers Limited (EIEL), an EPC company specialising in water and wastewater treatment, has…

India Expands Renewable Energy Capacity,

India Expands Renewable Energy Capacity, Strengthens Push Towards Clean and Energy-Secure Future

India has continued to expand its renewable energy capacity over the past year, underlining the…

Grid

India’s First Distribution-Level Grid-Forming BESS Cleared by DERC

India’s First Distribution-Level Grid-Forming BESS Cleared by DERC

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has approved the tariff and Battery Energy…

Chhattisgarh Discom Disconnects Power to 747 Government Offices Over Rs 12.83 Crore Dues

Chhattisgarh Discom Disconnects Power to 747 Government Offices Over Rs 12.83 Crore Dues

The state power distribution company (Discom) in Chhattisgarh has launched a major drive…

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