A solar power pilot at Bhadla Solar Park will test whether heat stored during the day can be used to generate electricity after sunset. Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited (RRECL) has approved NTPC’s proposed 320 kW concentrated solar power (CSP) project, announced on October 30.
The project will use high-temperature ceramic storage to explore an alternative to conventional battery storage. It remains a pilot: the approval opens the way for preliminary studies and site testing.
How ceramic heat storage would work
The system is designed to capture solar energy during daylight hours and retain it as heat inside special ceramic modules. After sunset, that stored heat would drive an air turbine to produce electricity.
The key is storing energy collected earlier in the day so that electricity can be generated when sunlight is unavailable. The trial will examine the potential of this approach to reduce reliance on chemical batteries for solar power after dark.
NTPC will use ceramic thermal energy storage technology developed by US-based 247Solar, working with RRECL to implement and test it at Bhadla.
Pilot electricity earmarked for NTPC’s plant
All electricity generated by the pilot is intended for NTPC’s internal and auxiliary consumption. Its immediate purpose is to test the technology while supplying the plant’s own operational needs.
The state government has described the proposal as India’s first ceramic storage-based concentrated solar power project. Any wider rollout would depend on the outcome of the Bhadla trial.
Feasibility work comes next
The approval allows preliminary feasibility studies, site surveys and structural testing to proceed. A commissioning date, project cost and the number of hours the storage system could supply electricity have not been announced.
For Rajasthan’s renewable energy sector, the trial will explore another way to extend solar power availability beyond daylight hours. Successful testing could support consideration of similar projects elsewhere in the country.
