Pumped Storage Projects: Key to Renewable Energy

Key Points

• 1The Union Budget for 2024-25 promised a policy for promoting pumped storage projects.
• 2India aims for 500GW of non-fossil fuel energy by 2030.
• 3Renewable energy varies and needs storage solutions like pumped storage.
• 4India has 3.3GW of pumped storage; main ones are in Nagarjunasagar, Kadana, Kadamparai, Panchet and Bhira.
• 5Pumped storage has two types: on-river and off-river.
• 6The Kadamparai plant in Tamil Nadu uses a higher reservoir and a lower reservoir to generate power.
• 7Kadamparai can produce 400MW of full power for three to four hours during evening peak loads.