Thiruvananthapuram, June 17, 2026, 00:35 IST
- Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph asked KSEB to boost monsoon prep and said services need to be more people-friendly. WeRIndia
- KSEB told the regulator it aims to have five battery energy storage sites online and in commercial operation by October 2026. Saur Energy
- Regulators cleared the 250 MW battery storage plant at Brahmapuram, giving Kerala’s grid storage push another step ahead. Kerala Kaumudi
Kerala Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph told Kerala State Electricity Board to put more weight on battery storage and work on consumer service, The Hindu reported. Joseph said the board should get better at access and efficiency, especially on monsoon plans. Power cuts, low voltage, and billing troubles hit many in Kerala during the rainy season. WeRIndia
KSEB plans to add battery storage to its grid, according to a filing with the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission. The company is aiming for five battery energy storage system (BESS) projects to be commercially operational by October 2026. These systems store electricity for later use. Power is measured in megawatts (MW), while storage capacity is in megawatt hours (MWh). The projects include: 125 MW/500 MWh at Mylatti, 15 MW/60 MWh at Mulleria, 40 MW/160 MWh at Sreekantapuram, 30 MW/120 MWh at Areecode, and 40 MW/160 MWh at Pothencode. Saur Energy
Kerala’s big solar push has left it with too much electricity during the day and not enough once the sun sets. The state’s new battery storage projects are meant to address this. KSEB ends up paying higher rates for evening power and sometimes has to cut contracted supply when solar output peaks. By storing daytime solar power to use later, KSEB can smooth out supply and bring down its purchase costs. Saur Energy
Regulators have given the go-ahead for a 250 MW battery storage plant at Brahmapuram, Ernakulam, which will be Kerala’s biggest to date. Kerala Kaumudi reported the facility will rise next to the old diesel plant and is set to get ₹90 crore in central viability gap funding. Total project cost is ₹600 crore. SolarQuarter said the approved tariff is ₹1.81 lakh per MW per month, with the estimated levelized storage rate working out to ₹3.59 per unit. Commercial operations target September 2027. Kerala Kaumudi
Consumers are asking if this will actually mean fewer outages, faster fixes in the monsoon, and better peak-hour supply. KSEB says it wants five storage projects running by October 2026, with everyone watching what happens at Brahmapuram. Any hold-up could push Kerala back into costly short-term buys. If work moves as planned, the state gets more backup as solar—rooftop and grid—keeps growing.
