Written by PPL Newsroom• October 6, 2026• 11:44 am• Innovation

NTPC REL seeks 2,000 MW pumped hydro storage to firm up round-the-clock green power

The 12,000 MWh tender, open until 3 November 2026, asks developers to store NTPC’s solar and wind power under 25-year service contracts.

NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) has invited international competitive bids for up to 2,000 MW/12,000 MWh of pumped hydro energy storage anywhere in India. The capacity would connect to the inter-state transmission system and be procured under a service model. Bids are being sought until 3 November 2026. The aim is to help the company deliver renewable power round the clock rather than only when the sun shines or the wind blows.

What the tender asks for

The two headline figures describe different things. The megawatt figure is how much power the storage can deliver at any moment. The megawatt-hour figure is the total energy it can hold. Dividing 12,000 MWh by 2,000 MW gives six hours of full-power discharge. That matches the tender’s requirement of at least six hours of single-cycle discharge.

According to the tender details, each location must offer at least 500 MW, and bidders can quote up to 2,000 MW. The minimum at one site is 500 MW/3,000 MWh. The tender is open to many kinds of project. These include commissioned facilities, under-construction projects with approved detailed project reports and clearances, new greenfield projects, and expansions of existing plants.

NTPC REL will not build the storage itself. It will supply charging power from its renewable assets, and selected developers will operate and maintain the facilities on an “on-demand” basis. Winners will sign a 25-year Energy Storage Service Agreement and be paid an annual fixed charge based on their financial bids. Capacity will be allocated through a bucket-filling method, with bids quoted in rupees per MWh per year.

Timelines and bid conditions

Every bid needs an earnest money deposit of Rs 10 lakh per MW. The project must be completed within 48 months of signing the agreement, or sooner.

This is not NTPC REL’s first call for pumped storage. In June 2026, SolarQuarter reported an abridged invitation for bids under domestic competitive bidding for the same 2,000 MW/12,000 MWh. Saur Energy reported that bidding for that notice ran until 21 July 2026. The sources reviewed do not explain how the new international invitation relates to that earlier notice.

The company has run a storage tender before. In an earlier technology-agnostic auction, Greenko won with a 500 MW/3,000 MWh pumped hydro plant. Its bid beat proposals that included lithium-ion and sodium-sulfur batteries and compressed air storage.

How pumped storage works

As the Deccan Herald explained in an earlier report, a pumped-storage project has two reservoirs, one uphill and one downhill. Surplus electricity pumps water up, and when demand spikes the water runs down through a turbine to generate power.

What this means for India

India is adding solar and wind capacity quickly, but both fall short in the evening peak and at night. This tender shows a large public-sector generator buying storage as a service instead of owning it, with the cost fixed over 25 years. It also keeps the site open to any state. A central ministry statement cited by Deccan Herald said the government has prioritised energy storage, particularly pumped storage, for energy security. Developers with approved pumped hydro projects now have a possible buyer for their capacity.