Energetica India Magazine May - June 2026

these plants can do in high-renewable systems. The first is our syn - chronous condenser feature, deployed for the first time in a 120 MW plant in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. It allows generators to provide reactive power support and inertia independently of the engines, strengthening gridvoltage and frequency stabilityprecisely when renewable input is at its highest. The second is theWISE (Wide and Intelligent Sustainable Energy) initiative, a Wärtsilä-led EUR 200 million collaboration ecosystem of over 200Finnish organisations, working toward autonomous bal- ancing power plants designed to run on 100 percent e-fuels such as green hydrogen. It represents our long-term commitment to mak- ing flexible generation fully compatible with a zero-emission energy system. Today, our engines can already operate on up to 100 per cent natu- ral gas, and 100 percent hydrogen-capable power plant solutions are also available. The assets supporting grid stability noware the same assets that will support deeper decarbonisation over time, protect- ing investments made today frombecoming stranded. Q How can India strike the right balance between sustain - ability, reliability, and affordability? Archana Bhatnagar: These three goals are often presented as competing priorities, but they are deeply connected. The key is sys- tem-level planning rather than asset-level planning. When policy- makers and planners focus only on the lowest per-unit generation cost, they miss the full picture. Renewable energy tariffs may be low, but without adequate flexibility, systems compensate by over - building capacity, cycling coal plants inefficiently, and curtailing clean generation. All of these add cost and undermine both reliabil- ity and sustainability. The consequences are alreadymeasurable in India. Baseload plants cycling to balance renewables operate at 55 to 65 percent plant load factor (PLF) against a norm of 85 percent, well below the level at which they are designed to run efficiently. The system is already paying a growing cost to manage renewable variability through as- sets thatwere never built for that role.Without sufficient flexibility, that cost will only increase as renewable penetration rises. India has the foundation to get this right. According to IRENA, the country is now the world’s third-largest renewable energy market, with total renewable energy capacity reaching approximately 250 GWas of 2025, and has raised its ambition to 60 percent of installed power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2035. The challenge now is ensuring that capacity translates into reliable, cost-effective pow- er. That requires an energy mix where coal and renewables do the heavy lifting (flat baseload), while storage and flexible balancing power keep the system stable and efficient. The next phase of the transition will be defined not only by howmuch clean energy India adds, but by how intelligently that system is designed and operated. Q What policy or regulatory interventions are needed to ac - celerate the adoption of flexible power solutions? Archana Bhatnagar: India is on a transformative journey, and the policy framework is being amended to adapt to the new nor- mal in the power sector. The Draft National Electricity Policy 2026 explicitly emphasises resource adequacy planning and grid reliabil- ity alongside renewable integration, which is a welcome signal that system-level thinking is enteringmainstreampolicy. Strategic plan- ning for future power systems and capacity additions must be guid- ed by data to achieve a rapid transition and a cost-optimal technol- ogymix for affordable electricity. The first priority is enabling an accelerated expansion of renewables and balancing technologies together. This means upgrading trans- mission systems, streamlining permitting processes, and investing in storage and flexible generation technologies. Financing must be mobilised to support this at the necessary scale and speed to reduce reliance on inflexible assets and accelerate emissions reductions. The second is redesigning electricity markets to incentivise flexibil - ity. Markets should move toward five-minute dispatch granulari - ty, with new ancillary services covering clearly defined primary, secondary, and tertiary reserves, alongside ramping, voltage, and inertia products introduced as renewable penetration rises. Bank- able revenue models for low-running-hour balancing power plants, including flexibility-linked capacity payments and scarcity pricing, are essential to attract the right investment. A Wärtsilä-KPMG power system study underscored this need, particularly in renew- able-rich states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Ra- jasthan. The third is choosing future-proof technologies and preparing for sustainable fuels. Balancing technologies deployed today should be ready for green hydrogen and other e-fuels from the mid-2030s on- ward. Natural gas bridges the transition. Greenhydrogen completes it. India has the ambition and the renewable momentum. Now it needs the right policy framework to support flexibility infrastruc - ture, as well as the market design and the right technology selection to match. WOMAN INFLUENCER 36 energetica INDIA- May-June_2026