By THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM| In a defining moment for India’s clean energy mission, Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, inaugurated the country’s largest and first MWh-scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system at NTPC’s R&D Centre, NETRA, Greater Noida. The event was graced by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary (Power), and Gurdeep Singh, CMD, NTPC.

With an impressive 3 MWh capacity, this milestone project represents a major leap towards long-duration energy storage (LDES)—a crucial enabler for India’s transition to a sustainable energy future. The VRFB technology allows large-scale storage of renewable energy, ensuring grid stability and reliability, especially during fluctuations in solar and wind power generation.

Shri Manohar Lal lauded NTPC’s initiative, emphasizing that innovations like VRFB will pave the way for India’s self-reliance in advanced clean energy technologies. He noted that such R&D-driven projects align seamlessly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, promoting green growth and technological leadership.

NTPC CMD Shri Gurdeep Singh highlighted that the VRFB project is a vital step in the company’s strategy to diversify its energy portfolio beyond conventional generation. He underlined NETRA’s growing role as a national hub for cutting-edge research in energy storage, hydrogen, and carbon capture.

The VRFB system’s commissioning positions NTPC among global pioneers exploring next-generation storage solutions. By supporting renewable integration at scale, it reinforces India’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and demonstrates how indigenous innovation can drive the clean energy revolution.