Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, inaugurated India’s largest and first megawatt-hour scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system of 3 MWh capacity, marking a key milestone in the country’s long-duration energy storage (LDES) journey. The project represents a major advancement in strengthening renewable energy integration and enhancing national grid resilience.

The inauguration took place during the Minister’s visit to NETRA, the Research and Development Centre of NTPC, in Greater Noida. He was accompanied by Shri Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary (Power), Shri Piyush Singh, Additional Secretary, and senior officials from the Ministry of Power. Shri Gurdeep Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of NTPC, along with senior executives, welcomed the delegation.

The Vanadium Redox Flow Battery represents a cutting-edge energy storage technology that could serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Its development broadens the range of materials that can be utilised for large-scale battery systems, strengthening India’s capability to deploy indigenous, sustainable, and long-life energy storage solutions.

Commending the NETRA team, Shri Manohar Lal highlighted that India’s research and innovation capacity is setting new global benchmarks in sustainable technology and energy transition. He noted that such projects are vital to ensuring energy security, while supporting India’s commitment to clean and reliable power infrastructure.

During the visit, the Minister was briefed on NTPC’s ongoing research in Carbon Capture, Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage, and Waste-to-Energy technologies, reflecting the company’s integrated approach to the clean energy transition.

Shri Manohar Lal also toured several demonstration plants at NTPC NETRA, including:

A Green Hydrogen Mobility Plant,

An STP water-based Green Hydrogen Plant,

A Solid Oxide-based High-Temperature Steam Electrolyser,

An MSW-RDF-based Enhanced Steam Gasification Plant, and

An AC Microgrid (4 MWp & 1 MWh Li-NMC Battery Energy Storage System), alongside NABL-accredited state-of-the-art laboratories.

The 3 MWh Vanadium Flow Battery system represents a strategic leap in India’s clean energy innovation ecosystem, offering scalable, long-duration storage capacity critical for integrating renewable energy sources and ensuring round-the-clock power availability.