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The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has provided environmental clearance for pumped storage hydropower projects with an impressive capacity of 11.98 gigawatts (GW). This approval represents the largest batch of such cutting-edge energy storage initiatives to receive the green light in a single go within the country. The clearance encompasses eight projects, requiring an investment of Rs. 81,981 crore, spanning five states, as outlined in notifications on the Parivesh portal of MoEFCC.
Pumped storage hydropower operates as a form of hydroelectric energy storage, utilizing water stored in two reservoirs at varying elevations to generate electricity. The surplus electricity, typically generated during off-peak hours or from renewable sources like solar and wind, is employed to pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. When there is a demand for electricity, the water is released from the upper reservoir, flowing through turbines to generate electricity.
Greenko Energys proposal for a 3.66 GW project in Uttar Pradeshs Sonbhadra district stood out as the largest project to receive an environmental clearance recommendation, according to the minutes of the 5th Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) meeting on River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects in December 2023. Additionally, Sterlite Grid and Gandhwani Energy secured recommendations for two projects, each with a capacity of 1.2 GW, in Chhattisgarh.
Other projects receiving approval include Oju Subansiri Hydro Power Corporations 2.22 GW project in Arunachal Pradesh, JSW Energys 1.5 GW project in Maharashtra, and Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limiteds (NEDCAP) 1.2 GW project in Annamayya district, which received terms of reference (ToR) clearance. NEDCAPs 1 GW project in YSR district also secured environmental clearance.
Notably, the committee deferred JSW Energy PSP Sixs 1.68 GW project in Sonbhadra district, seeking comments from the Central Electricity Authority due to potential overlap with other projects. The EAC expressed concerns that the development of two pumped storage projects in close proximity with overlapping components might result in an ecological disaster from both ecological and social sustainability perspectives.
The approved projects cover a total land area of 2,507 hectares, and operationalization is anticipated within the next 3-4 years. Greenko Energy, for instance, is actively involved in developing integrated renewable energy storage projects, including the Pinnapuram Pumped Storage Project and the Saundati Pumped Storage Project, with a combined pumped storage capacity of 2.46 GW.
JSW Energy, on the other hand, is advancing in the energy storage space with a locked-in capacity of 3.4 GWh across both pumped storage (2.4 GWh) and Battery Energy Storage (1 GWh). The company is reportedly developing a 1.5 GW hydro pumped storage project in the Igatpuri district in Maharashtra, contributing to its goal of enhancing renewable energy capacity.
These projects reflect a pivotal step forward in Indias renewable energy landscape, emphasizing the countrys commitment to embracing innovative and sustainable energy solutions. |
