NLC India targets large-scale pumped storage projects in Tamil Nadu, Odisha

New Delhi: State-run NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) is targeting large-scale pumped storage projects in Tamil Nadu and Odisha as part of its strategy to build grid-scale storage assets to balance renewable grid intermittency, an official statement said on Saturday.

The company is developing clean energy through its dedicated green arm, NLCIL Renewables Ltd (NIRL).

The PSU is targeting to increase its operational renewable energy portfolio from 1.8 GW to over 10 GW by 2030, with a long-term target of 32.7 GW by 2047, as part of its strategy to achieve a 50 per cent clean energy mix in its generation portfolio ahead of schedule, the Coal Ministry said in the statement.

To shield the country from global supply chain shocks and push low-carbon industrialisation, the PSU is setting up a pilot 4 MW solar-powered PEM electrolyser-based green hydrogen plant at Neyveli.

It is also partnering with IIT Madras to develop advanced carbon capture systems, the statement said.

NLCIL has bagged domestic composite exploration licenses for phosphorite and limestone in Chhattisgarh, and vanadium and titanium in Telangana. It is also pursuing international prospects through KABIL for critical minerals.

NLC India Limited, a Navratna enterprise under the Coal Ministry, has an existing power generation capacity of 8,405 MW and mining capacity of 59.10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).