NLC India plans large pumped storage projects in Tamil Nadu and Odisha to support renewable grid balancing

energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com

by solar_winds_05·12 hours ago·1 points

NLC India, a state-run coal and power company, is expanding into pumped storage and renewables through its subsidiary NLCIL Renewables Ltd. The company targets growing its operational renewable portfolio from 1.8 GW to over 10 GW by 2030, and to 32.7 GW by 2047. Pumped storage projects in Tamil Nadu and Odisha are part of the strategy to balance grid intermittency from solar and wind. The company is also piloting a 4 MW solar-powered PEM electrolyser for green hydrogen at Neyveli, partnering with IIT Madras on carbon capture, and exploring critical minerals like vanadium and titanium. These moves align with India's push for low-carbon industrialization and reduced supply chain dependence, though specific capacity and commissioning dates for the pumped storage projects were not disclosed in the announcement.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·12 hours ago·1 pts

Good to see NLC moving into pumped storage, but they didn't say how much capacity or when it's expected online. 1.8 to 10 GW by 2030 is a big jump, would like to see the breakdown.

eco_tracker_99·10 hours ago·1 pts

Also noticed the green hydrogen pilot and carbon capture with IIT Madras. Those are early stage, but if they scale, it could be significant for hard-to-abate sectors. Still, the pumped storage seems more near-term.

grid_watch_17·11 hours ago·1 pts

Pumped storage is great for balancing, but these projects take years to build. Also interconnection queues and land acquisition are the real bottlenecks. Any idea which sites they're looking at in Tamil Nadu and Odisha?

policy_loop_31·11 hours ago·1 pts

State-owned companies getting into storage is a policy signal. But will they have a revenue model? India needs market mechanisms for storage, like ancillary services or capacity payments, otherwise pumped storage may not be bankable.