The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has released the Draft Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2025. These regulations introduce a set of additional safety requirements specifically for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The regulations aim to bolster safety standards in line with the growing deployment of BESS in India’s power sector. The draft regulations are now open for public comments.
The proposed amendments will add a new Chapter X-A, titled “Additional safety requirements for Battery Energy Storage System (BESS),” to the existing safety and electric supply regulations. These new provisions will apply to all BESS installations in addition to the existing general safety norms.
Key Definitions Introduced
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Defined as a system connected to the Power System, storing electric energy using electrochemical materials, and typically including batteries, power conversion systems, and battery management systems.
Battery Management System (BMS)
A system implementing controls on batteries for safe operation, balancing energy, and monitoring status.
Power Conversion System (PCS)
The integrated system of inverters, rectifiers, controllers, and associated power electronics for AC/DC conversion in a BESS.
Highlights of Proposed Safety Requirements for BESS
The draft regulations mandate a wide array of safety measures, including:
General Safety Considerations
Chargers must be designed for specific battery chemistry, and battery systems must incorporate two-fault tolerance to prevent catastrophic failures from issues like overcharge, over-discharge, or short circuits. Testing must comply with relevant standards, and robust fire and explosion protection must be implemented at cell, module, container, and site levels.
Monitoring and Control
BMS must monitor and record voltage, temperature, current, and thermal runaway, activating audio-visual alarms and automatically halting charging/discharging if parameters exceed OEM specifications. PCS must be capable of fully automatic and unattended operation with self-protective and diagnostic features.
Battery Container Design
Containers must be explosion-proof, featuring forced ventilation, automated louvers for flammable gas release, and adherence to ingress protection standards.
Equipment Location
A minimum distance of 7.5 meters from the nearest exterior wall or roof overhang is prescribed for battery containers, and 3 meters between two containers. Deviations require Large Scale Fire Testing (LSFT) to validate safety, and external container walls must have a minimum two-hour fire resistance rating. Measures for noise reduction are also required in densely populated areas.
Ventilation
Adequate ventilation and cooling systems are mandatory to prevent overheating and limit the concentration of flammable materials, with automatic shutdown initiated upon mechanical ventilation system failure.
Hazard Detection and Suppression
BESS installations must be equipped with smoke, gas, heat, and flame detection systems. Battery containers with a rating of 200 kWh and above must have water-based automatic fire suppression systems.
Other Requirements
Provisions for electrolyte spill containment, emergency lighting and signage, and robust security systems (fencing, CCTV, motion sensors, alarms) are included. The regulations also mandate independent third-party fire safety audits for BESS, with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be issued by the Authority within three months. Furthermore, appropriate governments must ensure that Fire Safety officials are trained for BESS-specific fire risks, with guidelines for such training to be issued by the Directorate General of Fire Safety (DGFS) within three months.
The complete draft regulations are accessible on the CEA Website. Interested parties can also inspect the regulations at the office of the Chief Engineer (Legal), Sewa Bhawan (North Wing), Room No. 622, 6th Floor, R. K. Puram, New Delhi-110066, on any working day until July 20, 2025, between 11:00 hrs and 16:00 hrs.
All stakeholders and the public are requested to send their comments on the draft regulations to the Chief Engineer (Legal) at the aforementioned postal address or via email at celegal-cea@gov.in by July 20, 2025. The CEA will duly consider all received comments before finalizing and notifying these crucial safety measures.
