PATNA, Feb. 5 -- The Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the North and the South Bihar Power Distribution Companies Limited (discoms) to procure electricity from Bihar's fully-owned 185 MW solar power project integrated with a 282 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at Kajra in Lakhisarai district - the largest such storage facility in the country. The first phase of the Rs.1,810 crore project began commercial generation about 10 days back. Bihar's generation firm awarded the work order to L&T on July 1, 2024, with an 18-month completion deadline. Once the second phase - currently under construction at an estimated cost of Rs.1,055 crore - is completed, the Kajra plant's total capacity will rise to 301 MW of solar power and 523 MWh of battery storage by January 2027. The upcoming phase will add 116 MW of solar capacity and 241 MWh of storage. Under the project design, solar energy generated during the day will be stored and dispatched through the battery system, ensuring power supply during non-sunlight hours and enhancing grid stability. Addressing the event, energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the Kajra project would significantly strengthen uninterrupted power supply while expanding the state's green energy footprint. Spread over 1,232 acres, the facility would help secure Bihar's renewable energy future, he added. Energy secretary and chairman-cum-managing director of the Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited, Manoj Kumar Singh, said the project would usher in a new phase for Bihar's energy sector by accelerating the integrated development of solar power and battery storage....