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Pumped storage hydropower: the 'water battery' for renewable power
ஏன் செய்தியில்?
Is a dam's stored water chemical energy? The pumped storage trap GS3 energy questions set
Pumped storage plants store surplus power as raised water and release it through turbines at peak demand.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2024
What you need to know
2 நிமிடம்
Pumped storage hydropower works like a giant water battery: surplus electricity pumps water to an upper reservoir, and the stored water is later released through turbines when demand peaks.
It helps balance variable solar and wind power on the grid.
ஆதாரங்கள்: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
முக்கிய உண்மைகள்
Remember these
- Pumped storage hydropower pumps water to an upper reservoir using surplus electricity
- Stored water is released through turbines to generate power at peak demand
- Energy is stored as gravitational potential energy, not chemical energy
- It helps balance variable solar and wind power on the grid
- It is a form of grid-scale energy storage, often called a 'water battery'
ப்ரிலிம்ஸ் · மெயின்ஸ்
How the exam will ask it
ப்ரிலிம்ஸ்
- Pumped storage hydropower stores surplus electricity as gravitational potential energy of water raised to an upper reservoir.
- Water released from the upper reservoir through turbines generates electricity at times of peak demand.
- Pumped storage supports integration of variable renewable sources such as solar and wind into the grid.
மெயின்ஸ்
GS3 (Infrastructure - energy): Rising shares of variable solar and wind power create mismatches between supply and peak demand. Pumped storage hydropower acts as a grid-scale 'water battery' that absorbs surplus power and releases it when needed, complementing other storage options. The way forward lies in identifying suitable sites, enabling policy and financing support, and addressing environmental and land concerns to speed up renewable integration.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Recently, the term 'pumped-storage hydropower' is actually and appropriately discussed in the context of which one of the following?
- Irrigation of terraced crop fields
- Lift irrigation of cereal crops
- Long duration energy storage
- Rainwater harvesting system
விடையைக் காட்டு
விடை: C
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
With reference to pumped storage hydropower, consider the following statements:
- It stores electricity as chemical energy in the water of the upper reservoir.
- Water from the upper reservoir is released through turbines to generate electricity at times of peak demand.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
விடையைக் காட்டு
விடை: B — The correct answer is 2 only. Pumped storage stores energy as gravitational potential energy of raised water, not chemical energy, and releases it through turbines at peak demand.
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