- Why in news
- On 19 October 2026, PIB issued a backgrounder on pumped storage hydropower. It says India has 7.43 GW of operational PSP capacity and plans about 100 GW more by 2035-36.
- What it is
- Pumped storage hydropower stores electricity as the potential energy of water held in an upper reservoir. Surplus power pumps water uphill from a lower reservoir; releasing it through turbines generates power when demand rises. It works like a large water battery and gives long-duration storage for variable solar and wind power.
- Types of PSP
- PSPs are of three types: on-stream, off-stream open-loop and off-stream closed-loop, based on how reservoirs relate to natural watercourses.
- Closed-loop definition
- In a closed-loop scheme neither reservoir lies on a river, perennial stream or perennial nallah.
- Global ranking
- India ranks fourth globally in installed pumped storage capacity, after China, Japan and the US.
Don’t confuse with PSP vs BESS: PSP stores energy as water's potential energy and gives long-duration storage; BESS is electrochemical, quick to deploy and good for short-duration balancing.
Don’t confuse with Open-loop vs closed-loop: Open-loop has one reservoir on a river; closed-loop has none on a perennial watercourse.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Stores surplus solar and wind power and supplies it at peak, supporting the 500 GW non-fossil target by 2030.
- Gives grid stability, peaking support and long operating life.
- Off-stream schemes reduce harm to river ecology.
Problems
- Needs suitable topography and sites, plus long gestation and high capital cost.
- Environmental, forest and land issues, and transmission connectivity gaps.
- Needs viable tariff and market mechanisms for storage services.
Way forward
- Prefer off-stream and closed-loop sites to speed execution and limit ecological harm.
- Use TBCB procurement, the ISTS waiver and faster approvals to attract investment.
- Plan storage and transmission together, pairing PSP with BESS.
- 2013Mains GS3 · Q17Define run-of-river hydro project and how it differs from other hydro projects.
- 2024Prelims Q38Which option correctly describes the context where pumped-storage hydropower is discussed?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.In an on-stream pumped storage scheme, both reservoirs are located on a river, stream or nallah.
- 2.In an off-stream closed-loop pumped storage scheme, one reservoir is on a river and the other is not.
- 3.India ranks fourth in the world in installed pumped storage capacity, and the Western Region has the highest identified pumped storage potential in the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.In an on-stream pumped storage scheme, both reservoirs are located on a river, stream or nallah.
True. On-stream schemes have both reservoirs on a watercourse.
2.In an off-stream closed-loop scheme, one reservoir is on a river and the other is not.
False. That describes open-loop; in closed-loop neither reservoir is on a perennial watercourse.
3.India ranks third in the world in installed pumped storage capacity.
False. India ranks fourth, after China, Japan and the United States.
4.The Western Region has the highest identified pumped storage potential in India, with Maharashtra the leading State.
True. Western Region 129.72 GW; Maharashtra 67.36 GW, then Gujarat.
5.The Ministry of Power notified guidelines to promote pumped storage projects in India in April 2023.
True. Guidelines were notified in April 2023.
6.Battery energy storage systems suit long-duration storage better than pumped storage, which suits short-duration needs.
False. PSPs provide long-duration storage; BESS responds rapidly to short-duration needs.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
India has 7.43 GW of operational pumped storage capacity and plans about 100 GW more by 2035-36, as a PIB backgrounder noted. Discuss the role of pumped storage hydropower in integrating renewable energy into the grid. Examine the policy measures taken to promote it and the challenges that remain.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.