West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced that the state government would allot 350 acres of land to CESC for its planned battery storage unit. Speaking at the Business & Industry Conclave in Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of Kolkata said “We have 350 acres of land available at Uttarpara, which can be allotted to them.” She further requested the company officials to submit a formal proposal for the land allotment at the next cabinet meeting.
The announcement comes after CESC, in association with RPSG Group, expressed plans to make Kolkata one of the first metro cities in India to have at least 50% of its electricity demand met through renewable energy sources. “CESC had sought 600 acres for the unit,” the Chief Minister noted, emphasizing that the state is willing to accommodate the project within the 350 acres available.
CESC chairman Sanjiv Goenka highlighted the scale of the initiative, stating that the company is planning a 5,000-megawatt battery storage unit in the state, with an estimated investment of Rs 12,000 crore. The proposed unit will be linked to CESC’s existing power plants, which supply electricity to Kolkata and surrounding areas.
Explaining the potential impact of the project, Sanjiv Goenka, chairman, CESC told TOI, “Once the project starts working, we can supply 50% of power to Kolkata from renewable sources. It would be the first of its kind for any metro city in the country.”
He also mentioned that if everything proceeds as planned, the project is expected to be completed within five years.
Battery storage units are designed to manage electricity supply based on peak and off-peak demand patterns, enabling efficient integration of renewable energy into the grid.
With the state government’s support and CESC’s investment, the initiative is seen as a significant step towards making Kolkata a pioneer in renewable energy adoption among Indian metro cities. Both the government and company officials are moving forward with the planning and land allocation process, signaling a major boost to West Bengal’s energy infrastructure and sustainability goals.
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