Status on Pumped Storage Projects (11 under construction; 6 appraised by CEA)
Pumped storage projects in India: capacity, clearances, and grid-balancing role
- The Ministry of Power has reported the current status of pumped storage projects and listed policy measures to encourage private participation.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has eased appraisal and survey requirements for pumped storage projects through notifications and letters issued between 2023 and 2025.
- The Central Electricity Authority has revised Detailed Project Report concurrence procedures for pumped storage projects and reduced the concurrence timeline.
- The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has extended a transmission-charge waiver for eligible pumped storage projects to improve project viability.
What happened
The Ministry of Power has said that India currently has 11 pumped storage projects under construction with an aggregate installed capacity of 15,870 MW. The ministry has also said that 6 more projects with an aggregate capacity of 8,140 MW have been concurred or appraised by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and are yet to begin construction.
Pumped storage projects matter because they store surplus electricity during off-peak hours and supply power during peak demand. The Ministry of Power has linked them to long-duration energy storage, frequency regulation, voltage support, black start capability, and higher renewable energy penetration.
UPSC may frame pumped storage projects as an energy-storage and power-sector reform issue: their role in integrating variable renewable energy, the clearance and financing bottlenecks they face, and the policy instruments used to accelerate private participation and transmission access.
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