In the dry and rocky parts of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district, something remarkable has happened. An area that was once empty and lifeless is now home to the world’s largest green battery, a big clean energy project that brings together solar power, wind energy, and water-based energy storage.
Called the Pinnapuram Integrated Renewable Energy Project (IREP), this giant clean-energy hub uses thousands of solar panels, hundreds of wind turbines, and two large artificial lakes. Together, they work like a natural battery.
Here’s how it works:
When the sun is shining and the winds are strong, extra electricity is used to pump water from a lower lake to an upper one. When power demand rises, even at night, the stored water is released downhill to generate electricity again. Simple water movement, powerful results.
The project includes 4,000 MW of solar power, 1,000 MW of wind power, and 1,680 MW of pumped storage, allowing it to supply electricity for up to nine hours continuously. Remarkably, the entire project was built in just three years.
Developed by Greenko, led by Anil Chalamalasetty and Mahesh Kolli, the system uses water only once, around 1 TMC drawn from the Gorakallu reservoir, and then recycles it endlessly in a closed loop.
Greenko’s COO, Maurya Pydah, said renewable energy alone can be unreliable because sunlight and wind depend on the weather. Pumped-storage projects solve this problem by storing energy and releasing it exactly when the grid needs it, making renewable power stable and dependable.
The Pinnapuram project is also India’s first 100% Make-in-India pumped storage plant, with no imported equipment. Greenko is now developing similar projects in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Built across 714 hectares, the project faced rocky terrain, forests, and major logistical challenges. Yet the project has drawn praise from global leaders, including former UN environment chief Erik Solheim, who called it “the future of energy.”
As India pushes toward net-zero while meeting rising electricity demand, Pinnapuram proves that renewable energy doesn’t have to be unpredictable. In a quiet corner of Andhra Pradesh, water, wind, and sunlight are showing the world how clean power can run 24/7, without coal, smoke, or batteries that overheat.
Sometimes, the smartest energy solution isn’t high-tech, it’s just water flowing at the right time.
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