MOBISUB Report: A Blueprint for International Cleantech Collaboration
The MOBISUB project represents a pioneering UK-India collaboration focused on redefining the future of grid infrastructure through the deployment of Mobile Battery Energy Storage Systems (MBESS). Designed as a truck-mounted, dual-purpose system, MOBISUB delivers both substation maintenance support and grid-scale energy storage. This innovative model addresses several of India’s most urgent energy challenges—ranging from reliability to decarbonisation—while offering a scalable blueprint for global deployment.
At the core of the project is StorTera’s advanced Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) battery technology, enabling a modular, mobile, and highly resilient energy platform. The system replaces conventional diesel generators, supports the integration of renewables, and delivers critical grid services such as load balancing, frequency regulation, and backup power for remote and mission-critical assets. By maximising asset utilisation and operational flexibility, MOBISUB enhances grid reliability and reduces carbon emissions, while also improving efficiency and creating new economic value through cost savings and operational effectiveness.
Despite the project’s technical complexity and logistical demands, the consortium successfully demonstrated how mobile energy storage can transform grid resilience across diverse operating environments. The initiative united leading organisations including StorTera, PNDC, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (DDL), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), TERI School of Advanced Studies, IIT Roorkee, and Cambridge Cleantech—showcasing a powerful model of international co-innovation.
Cambridge Cleantech served as the project manager for MOBISUB, leading the coordination of consortium activities and working closely with our Indian partner to bring together a strong international consortium. For us, MOBISUB represented an opportunity to apply our ecosystem-building approach to a highly technical project — bringing together key UK stakeholders such as PNDC (research institution) and Stortera (innovator), with strategic support from Scottish Enterprise (government), to work towards a shared mission.
As a catalyst in the UK climate tech ecosystem, this project demonstrated the power of cross-sector collaboration. It enabled us to bridge innovation, research, and public-sector support to drive climate-positive solutions. From a global perspective, MOBISUB is strongly aligned with Cambridge Cleantech’s mission to accelerate climate innovation worldwide. It reinforced our belief that the path to a net-zero future requires deeper international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and collective innovation. Working alongside international partners not only amplified the project’s impact, but also highlighted the value of connecting ecosystems across continents to address global climate challenges together.