The Tamil Nadu government will roll out a policy on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and battery recycling within weeks as finalisation nears, the Electricity and Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar said after inspecting facilities at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras). The initiative aims to support expansion of renewable energy and address future challenges in battery disposal and recycling. The minister added the study at IIT Madras will inform regulatory and infrastructure planning.

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has signed a memorandum of understanding with IIT Madras to undertake research on emerging technologies, including BESS and recycling techniques, the minister said. He said battery recycling will become a major challenge within five years and the policy will prepare the state in advance. The study is expected to help the TNEB manage peak-hour demand through energy storage solutions.

The minister stated the state's installed renewable energy generation capacity has reached nearly 30,000 MW and is approaching saturation, prompting a shift to streamline investments. Several investors have approached the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited with proposals for new solar and wind projects, and the government will set conditions to ensure grid stability. A separate policy to promote rooftop solar installations is being prepared alongside a dedicated mobile application to provide consumers with complete system information.

The state is considering extending financial assistance to consumers in addition to central subsidies for rooftop installations, the minister added. He criticised the previous government for poor progress in rooftop solar and alleged irregularities in commercial approvals without proper load flow studies. The TVK government has sought explanations from around 350 companies and will accept fresh applications for solar projects in the coming weeks. Officials said the twin policies on BESS and rooftop solar aim to balance renewable uptake with environmental and grid management concerns.