India holds over 100 GW of pumped storage capacity in pipeline to shore up renewables

New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) India is rapidly expanding pumped storage capacity with projects totalling 100.81 gigawatts (GW) envisaged for commissioning by 2035–36, an official factsheet said on Monday.

The pipeline spans operational, construction and appraisal stages and will take cumulative pumped storage project capacity under construction to nearly 105.56 gigawatts.

“The planned expansion can significantly strengthen grid flexibility and enable greater integration of renewable energy. It also positions pumped storage as an important pillar of India’s future electricity system,” the statement noted.

As of August 2026, India has 7.43 GW of operational PSP capacity across 10 projects, holding installed capacity above 25 MW, with a further 15.87 GW across 11 PSPs under construction or under implementation across the country.

The statement noted the next stage of pipeline with 10.40 GW across 8 projects concurred or appraised by the Central Electricity Authority.

India has identified 320 pumped storage projects with a combined potential of 345.38 GW, including 62 on-stream projects with 56.67 GW and 258 off-stream projects with 288.71 GW. These projects span all five regions and include different stages of development, including projects already in operation.

India has crossed 300 GW of installed non-fossil fuel-based electricity generation capacity as of July 2026, with around 55.29 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity during FY26.

The country has also set a target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. Solar and wind energy are going to make major contributions towards achieving this target.

As renewable capacity expands, the requirement for energy storage would also increase rapidly. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) projects 73.93 GW of storage capacity by 2031–32, including 26.69 GW from Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) and 47.24 GW from Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

PSPs can play a crucial role in meeting this long-duration storage requirement as they store electricity by pumping water to an upper reservoir during periods of surplus generation.

—IANS

aar/ag