Pariksha SaathiPIB backgrounder on pumped storage: 7.43 GW operational, 345.38 GW potential identified, 100.81 GW planned by 2035-36
A PIB backgrounder of 19 October 2026 explains pumped storage hydropower, often described as a water battery: surplus electricity pumps water from a lower to an upper reservoir, and the stored water is released through turbines when demand rises, giving the long-duration storage a grid with more solar and wind needs. India has 7.43 GW of operational pumped storage capacity across 10 projects, a further 15.87 GW across 11 projects under construction or implementation, and 10.40 GW across 8 projects concurred or appraised by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). It has identified 320 projects with a combined potential of 345.38 GW, led by the Western Region (129.72 GW) and Maharashtra (67.36 GW), and the CEA envisages commissioning 100.81 GW by 2035-36, taking cumulative capacity to 105.56 GW. Citing IRENA, the backgrounder says India ranks fourth in the world in installed pumped storage capacity, after China, Japan and the United States. Support measures include the Ministry of Power's April 2023 guidelines, a 100 per cent waiver of inter-state transmission charges for 25 years for projects awarded by 30 June 2028, and a cut in the time for concurrence of detailed project reports from 90 to 50 days.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
In the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s capacity table, pumped storage is counted under large hydro. As on 30 September 2026, large hydro stood at 52,064.67 MW, including 7,425.6 MW of pumped storage; total renewable capacity was 2,99,246.53 MW, led by solar (1,71,051.46 MW) and wind (59,201.07 MW); and total non-fossil capacity, including 8,780 MW of nuclear, was 3,08,026.53 MW.
Reference: MNRE, physical progress (as on 30 September 2026)
Check yourself: in which type of pumped storage scheme is neither reservoir on a river or perennial stream?
The off-stream closed-loop scheme. On-stream schemes have both reservoirs on a river, stream or nallah, and off-stream open-loop schemes have one.
Revision task: from this backgrounder, note the operational, under-construction and identified capacities, the 2035-36 figure, India’s global rank and the support measures, and keep them apart from MNRE’s capacity figures above.
Test yourself
According to the PIB backgrounder of 19 October 2026, where does India rank in the world in installed pumped storage capacity?
Show the answer
Answer: Fourth
Citing IRENA, the backgrounder says India ranks fourth, after China, Japan and the United States, with 7.18 GW at the end of 2025; its capacity has since increased to 7.43 GW.
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