India sets 100 GW pumped storage target by 2035; report highlights global shift

India is aiming to achieve 100 gigawatts (GW) of pumped storage capacity by the financial year 2035-36, according to the 2026 Global Hydropower Outlook released by the International Hydropower Association (IHA) on Wednesday. However, the country's target remains significantly smaller compared to China's ongoing expansion.

Pumped storage hydropower, often referred to as a 'water battery', uses two water reservoirs at different elevations to store and generate electricity. It is considered the world's largest source of long-duration energy storage. According to the report, global pumped storage capacity surpassed 200 GW in 2025, with a record 11.7 GW added during the year.

India added 4,267 megawatts (MW) of hydropower in 2025, the highest among Central and South Asian countries, followed by Nepal (468 MW), Israel (344 MW), United Arab Emirates (250 MW) and Pakistan (156 MW). India also has the largest installed hydropower capacity in the region at 56,336 MW, ahead of Russia (54,361 MW) and Iran (13,295 MW).

China's dominance in global hydropower development grew in 2025 with the start of construction on the Yarlung Zangbo River Hydropower Project. The report states that the Yarlung Zangbo project is expected to generate approximately three times more electricity than the Three Gorges Dam, which has an installed capacity of 22,500 MW. The Yarlung Zangbo River flows from Tibet into India as the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh and eventually joins the Brahmaputra.

India is developing its own 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh as a strategic measure to regulate water flow, prevent sudden water diversions by China, and mitigate flood risks downstream. The project is seen as a defensive countermeasure to China's 60,000 MW Yarlung Zangbo project in Tibet's Medog County.

The IHA report notes that growth in Asia is driven by rapid renewable energy deployment, rising electricity demand, and increasing investment in long-duration storage and regional grid integration. The East Asia and Pacific region generated 1,854 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity from hydropower in 2025 and added 14 GW of new capacity, including 7,605 MW of pumped storage. Total installed hydropower capacity in the region stands at 590 GW, with pumped storage accounting for 106 GW.

India's Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimates the country's pumped-storage potential at 288 GW, one of the largest in the world. The CEA has outlined a roadmap targeting 100 GW of pumped storage capacity by 2035-36, the report adds.

China remains the leading contributor globally, accounting for over 40% of worldwide hydropower capacity additions in 2025. More than 300 GW of hydropower is currently under construction in China, including 217.5 GW of pumped storage. The report says this reflects a strategic shift from merely expanding capacity to enhancing system-level value such as grid flexibility, reliability, energy security, and integration of hydro-wind-solar-storage.

IHA President Malcolm Turnbull noted that geopolitical tensions disrupting energy imports are prompting countries to focus on long-duration storage and resilient domestic power generation. "As electricity systems become more dependent on variable renewables, and geopolitical tensions make reliance on imports more challenging, countries are increasingly recognising the importance of flexibility, long-duration storage and resilient domestic generation. Hydropower and pumped storage are uniquely positioned to provide these services at scale," he said.

IHA's Chief Executive Officer Eddie Rich said the rapid global acceleration of pumped storage, with record additions and expanding pipelines, signals a recognition that the clean energy transition requires such technologies.