What happened: Union Cabinet approved Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana

The Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana to expand floating solar power on reservoirs and other water bodies. The programme is planned as a ₹5,070-crore initiative and links central financial support to battery energy storage to improve how solar power can be used by the grid.

Key features of the scheme (as approved)

Central financial support: up to ₹1 crore per MW for eligible floating solar projects.Project locations: reservoirs and other water bodies.National target: reach 5,000 MW of floating solar capacity by 2030–31.Implementing agency: Solar Energy Corporation of India implements the scheme.Battery energy storage condition: supported projects must include battery energy storage equivalent to at least two hours. The programme-wide storage benchmark mentioned is 10,000 MWh (battery energy storage equivalent across the programme design).

Background: floating solar exists, but onsite battery storage is often missing

Floating solar projects already exist at large scale. A central constraint highlighted by the scheme design is that many major floating solar projects lack sufficient onsite battery energy storage. Limited onsite storage can reduce the ability to shift solar output toward peak hours and can contribute to curtailment when renewable generation is higher than what the grid can absorb at a given time.

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