"India Scales Up Pumped Storage to Back Renewable Growth"
Pumped Storage Project (PSP)
a facility that stores electricity as water's potential energy between two reservoirs at different heights
Round-trip efficiency
the share of electricity recovered from a PSP compared to what was used to pump water uphill
India's power system is changing quickly towards renewable sources. As of mid-2026, India has crossed 300 GW of installed non-fossil fuel capacity. The country has set a target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. But solar and wind output changes with sunlight and weather. This creates a need to store extra power and release it later when demand is high. Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) solve this problem. A PSP is a system that stores power as the potential energy of water held in an upper reservoir. It releases this water through turbines when needed. Long-duration storage like this is the real-world use of pumped-storage hydropower. It is different from irrigation or rainwater harvesting. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) projects India will need 73.93 GW of total storage capacity by 2031-32. This splits into 26.69 GW from PSPs and 47.24 GW from Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS, meaning large battery banks that store grid electricity).
Many good PSP sites lie close to forests and wildlife habitats. This is especially true in the Western Ghats. Any project within 5 km of a Protected Area requires NBWL clearance (National Board for Wildlife, meaning the apex body that approves wildlife-related project clearances). This requirement comes from the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Section 29 of this Act bars destruction or removal of wildlife or forest produce from a sanctuary. The Chief Wildlife Warden's permission is needed. The NBWL's Standing Committee decides on such clearances. The Union Minister for Environment heads this committee. The committee decides after site-level ecological study. This creates a structural tension. Fast-tracking storage infrastructure must be balanced against protecting biodiversity-rich landscapes.
A PSP works in a simple cycle. During hours of surplus power, usually from solar at midday, water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper one. During hours of peak demand, this water is released through turbines to generate electricity. PSPs are net consumers of electricity. Pumping water uphill always uses more energy than releasing it downhill recovers. Their value lies not in producing new power. Instead, they shift renewable power across time and keep the grid stable.
PSPs are classified into on-stream, off-stream open-loop and off-stream closed-loop schemes based on reservoir location relative to natural watercourses. …
Recently, the term "pumped-storage hydropower" is actually and appropriately discussed in the context of which one of the following?
Consider the following statements regarding Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs):
1.PSPs are net producers of electricity over a full storage cycle.
2.PSPs store electricity as the potential energy of water held in an elevated reservoir.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following statements regarding statutory clearance for Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) near Protected Areas is correct?
With reference to classification of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs), consider the following pairs:
Type of scheme — Reservoir configuration
1.On-stream — Both reservoirs located on a river or stream
2.Off-stream open-loop — Both reservoirs away from any river or perennial stream
3.Off-stream closed-loop — One reservoir on a river, the other away from it
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
As per Central Electricity Authority (CEA) projections, India's total energy storage requirement by 2031-32 is expected to be met through which combination of sources?
Consider the following statements regarding India's identified pumped storage potential:
1.India has identified a total pumped storage potential exceeding 300 GW across more than 300 projects.
2.Off-stream projects account for a larger share of this potential than on-stream projects.
3.The Western Region has the lowest identified pumped storage potential among all regions.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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