Comments Sought on Proposed External Safety Audit Framework for BESS Plants

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, vide its notification dated July 7, 2026 (the “Notification“), has invited comments from stakeholders on the proposed framework governing external safety audits of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) plants. Comments have been invited until July 28, 2026. The proposed framework has been issued pursuant to Regulation 12 of the Central Electricity Authority (Safety Requirements for Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Electrical Plants and Electric Lines) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022, which mandates that every generating station undergo an external safety audit by an accredited third party every two years and submit the audit report to the CEA.

To facilitate implementation of the above regulatory requirement, the CEA has proposed:

• a sample format for the External Safety Audit Report;
• a draft BESS-specific technical checklist for auditors; and
• the minimum procedure to be followed in conducting such audits and in preparing the audit report.

The proposed audit report format prescribes a structured reporting mechanism requiring auditors to examine, inter alia:

• project particulars, statutory approvals and applicable licences;
• occupational health and safety systems and technical compliance;
• field inspection findings and audit observations; and
• recommendations along with risk categorisation (High, Medium or Low) and timelines for implementation of corrective measures.

The proposed technical checklist introduces BESS-specific safety parameters requiring verification of, inter alia:

• site suitability, equipment spacing and fault isolation arrangements;
• battery management systems, SCADA monitoring and operational data retention;
• fire detection and suppression systems, explosion protection and emergency response infrastructure;
• statutory metering arrangements and grid connectivity; and
• maintenance of prescribed certifications, testing records and regulatory compliances under the Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Construction of Electrical Plants and Electric Lines) Amendment Regulations, 2026, the Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Amendment Regulations, 2026, the Ministry of Power Guidelines for Procurement and Utilization of Battery Energy Storage Systems dated March 10, 2022, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Connectivity and General Network Access to the inter-State Transmission System) Regulations, 2022 and the Central Electricity Authority (Installation and Operation of Meters) Regulations, 2006.

In addition to third-party verification, the proposed framework also requires BESS plant owners to self-certify several critical design and operational parameters, including:

• structural integrity and seismic compliance;
• thermal management, weather protection and battery performance guarantees;
• system efficiency, fault tolerance and alarm mechanisms;
• hazard detection systems, automatic shutdown capabilities and earthing arrangements.

The proposed framework also sets out the minimum procedure for carrying out external safety audits, including:

• constitution of an audit team of at least three auditors holding degrees in electrical, mechanical and fire and safety engineering respectively, of whom one must be a lead auditor under IS 18001/ISO 45001 and one must have at least ten years’ experience in operation and maintenance or erection and commissioning of power plants or hazardous process industry, with the audit conducted over a minimum of three days of field visit (nine man-days);
• adoption of IS 14489:2018 for occupational health and safety audits;
• mandatory field inspections of BESS facilities; and
• submission of a comprehensive audit report containing observations, risk ratings, recommendations and compliance timelines. Audit agencies would also have the discretion to include additional project-specific checkpoints wherever considered necessary.