Govt To Add Over 10 GW Pumped Hydro Storage Per Year From FY29: CEA Chief

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Sep 23 (KNN) India plans to add 2.8 gigawatts (GW) of pumped hydro storage capacity annually over the next two years, with further expansion to over 10 GW per year from 2028–29, Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), said on Monday.

Speaking at a conference on energy storage organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Prasad said the country aims to scale up pumped hydro storage to around 57 GW by 2032, from the current capacity of approximately 5 GW, according to PTI.

This expansion is intended to address the intermittency challenges posed by increasing renewable energy integration.

“From this year onwards, we have started adding around 2.8 GW every year. From 2028–29, you will find this going into double digits as well, roughly 10–13 GW (of pumped hydro storage capacity) getting added each year,” Prasad said.

“With increasing share of renewables, storage systems are gaining more importance. So far, we have been able to manage the grid with variability of thermal. When we have to meet demand during non-solar hours, that becomes a big challenge. We have no option but to go for energy storage systems,” Prasad said.

To support the development of energy storage infrastructure, the government launched a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries in 2021 under the National Programme on ACC Battery Storage Production, with an allocation of Rs 18,100 crore for 50 GWh ACC capacity.

India's installed non-fossil fuel-based power generation capacity currently stands at 252 GW, with a government target of 500 GW by 2030, reflecting the country's commitment to clean energy transition.

(KNN Bureau)

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