Pumped Storage Hydro Projects of 50,670 MW by 2032

India's plans to widen the renewable energy (RE) basket with new energy forms like Pumped Storage Hydro Projects (PHP) have gained significant traction as 38 projects with 50,670 MW capacity have been lined up for commissioning by 2032.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) envisaged a requirement of 26.7 gigawatts (GW) or 26,700 megawatts (MW) of PHPs and 47.2 GW of BESS battery storage to integrate the RE capacity envisaged till 2032. However, numerous companies are coming up with new projects and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is flooded with Terms of Reference (ToR) proposals for 87 projects with a total capacity of 1,04,690 MW or 1.04 GWs, says a CEA data on PHPs. Estimates say the country has a potential of 1,81,350.6 MW PSP capacity, both on-river and off-river.

The country currently has 4,745.60 MW of PHPs operational, including a 1,200 MW project at Sardar Sarovar in Gujarat, 900 MW each in Telangana and Purulia and Tata Power's 150 MW at Bhira in Maharashtra. Under construction projects are about 4,050 MW, including Greenko's 1,200 MW at Pinnapuram in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh and a 1,000 MW project at Tehri in Uttarakhand, both to be commissioned in FY25. Tamil Nadu's 500 MW PHP coming up Kundah in Nilgiris is scheduled to go on stream in FY26. APGENCO's Upper Sileru PSP with 1,350 MW, now in the initial stages of construction, is likely to take off by February 2029.

As per the capacity addition plan, Tehri and Pinnapuram will be commissioned in February and March 2025. The Kundah PSP will also take off by December, next year. Adani Green's 500 MW Chitravathi PHP in Andhra Pradesh and Greenko's 1,920 MW 'MP30 Gandhi Sagar' in Madhya Pradesh are lined up for commissioning in June and August of 2026.

About 6,700 MW of PHPs are expected to go on stream in FY28. Adani Green's 1,500 MW at Tarali in Maharashtra and Greenko's 1,600 MW at Saundatii in Karnataka are likely to take off in March 2028. Greenko's 1,800 MW at Shahpur in Madhya Pradesh may start by January 2028 and Astha Energy's 1,800 MW at Veeraballi in Andhra Pradesh are likely to get commissioned by November 2027.

About nine large PHPs with a total of 16,190 MW may take off in FY29. These are APGENCO's 1,350 Upper Sileru, Tata Power's 1,000 MW Bhivpuri, Adani Green's 1,000 MW Gandikota in Andhra Pradesh, JSW Energy's 1,680 MW Kandhaura in Uttar Pradesh, Adani Green's 2,700 MW Koyna Nivakane in Maharashtra, Greenko's 3,660 MW UP01 in Uttar Pradesh, Tata Power's 1,800 MW Shirawta in Maharashtra and JSW Energy's 1,500 MW Pane in Maharashtra.

In FY30, 14,110 MW of PHPs are planned for commissioning. These include 1,000 MW at Turga in West Bengal, Adani Green's 1,500 MW at Malshejghat, Greenko's 2,560 MW at Sukhpura in Rajasthan, JSW Energy's 1,500 MW Vempalli in Andhra Pradesh, Adani Green's 1,500 MW Warasgaon Warangi in Maharashtra, Indosol Solar's two projects of 2,200 MW at Paidipalem in Andhra Pradesh and JSW Energy's 1,200 MW at Sirohi in Rajasthan.

In FY31, seven projects with a capacity of 7,640 MW will take off from project developers like Adani Green, Shirdi Sai Electricals, KPCL, NHDC/NHPC, Aurobindo Realty & Infra and OHPC. In FY32, Jindal Renewables' 1,000 MW at Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh also may take off, as per the plan.