India's Battery Storage Capacity Reaches 9.3 GWh by Mid-2026

India added 8.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery storage capacity in the first half of 2026, according to a Mercom India Research report. This represents an 84-fold increase compared to the 98.4 megawatt-hours (MWh) added in the same period of the previous year. By June 2026, the cumulative installed battery storage capacity in India reached 9.3 GWh.

The growth is attributed to rising utility demand for grid balancing, peak management, and renewable energy integration. Standalone battery storage projects accounted for 83% of cumulative installations. Rajasthan leads in installed battery storage capacity with 36%, followed by Gujarat at 20% and Maharashtra at 5%. These three states collectively represent over 60% of the country's total installed capacity.

Battery storage procurement also saw a sharp increase in the first half of 2026, with 28 GW tendered. This marks an 86% year-over-year increase from the 15 GW tendered in the first half of 2025.

Nusano to Focus on HALEU Production in New Project

Nusano, a company based in Utah, was recently chosen by the National Reactor Innovation Center for a project under its Nuclear Energy Launch Pad program. The company has now disclosed that this project will focus on the production of high-assay low-enrichment uranium (HALEU).

This new emphasis on enrichment represents an expansion of Nusano's activities. Concurrently, the company is proceeding with the development of a radioisotope production facility, also located in Utah.

eVinci Microreactor Achieves Record High-Temperature Criticality

The eVinci microreactor has achieved zero-power high-temperature criticality at 663 degrees Celsius. Additionally, a subcritical reactivity measurement was recorded at a peak core temperature of 1,011 degrees Celsius. This temperature represents a new record for reactivity measurements at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC).

These experimental milestones were accomplished through a collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), located at the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) NCERC in Nevada. The primary objective of these achievements is to generate high-quality, temperature-dependent data. This data will be used to enhance analytical models and expedite the prototype design process for the eVinci microreactor.

The recent experimental work builds upon earlier eVinci zero-power criticality testing conducted this year. These ongoing tests are designed to advance the understanding of how the reactor design performs as representative materials are heated towards operational conditions.

The eVinci is a heat pipe-cooled microreactor with a 15 MWt core design, capable of producing up to 5 MWe. Its TRISO-fueled reactor core is engineered to operate for eight or more full-power years before requiring refueling. The reactor is designed to be factory-built and assembled, allowing it to be shipped in a container. This design facilitates versatile and scalable energy provision for various applications, including defense and space operations.