RAS question
India's largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), with a capacity of 2,500 MWh, was established at which location?
Correct answer: (D) Pugal, Bikaner.
India's largest Battery Energy Storage System, with a capacity of 2,500 MWh, was established at Pugal in Bikaner district, Rajasthan.
Explanation
The BESS location is Pugal in Bikaner district, Rajasthan. pv magazine India reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Avaada Group's 1,560 MWp solar project integrated with a 2,500 MWh battery energy storage system there. This capacity figure supports option D. The project involved an investment of Rs 9,200 crore, and BESS matters because it stores surplus solar and wind power so renewable electricity can be fed into the grid more reliably. In exam terms, the key is not just the headline capacity, but the site-capacity linkage: Pugal, Bikaner is tied to the 2,500 MWh BESS project.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jaisalmer is in Rajasthan, but the 2,500 MWh BESS project is located at Pugal in Bikaner district, not at Jaisalmer.
- (B) Kutch is in Gujarat, whereas the 2,500 MWh BESS project is in Rajasthan's Bikaner district.
- (C) Jodhpur is another Rajasthan location, but the specific project in the question is linked to Pugal in Bikaner district, not Jodhpur.
Concept
This tests renewable-energy infrastructure and energy-storage applications under Science and Technology. RAS often asks such questions because Rajasthan's solar and grid-integration projects connect current affairs with state-specific development.