Event at the Global Renewables Hub - COP30 (Belém, Brazil)  November 2025

Date and Time: 10:30-11:30, Thurs 13 Nov

Room: Global Renewables Hub at the Blue Zone, COP30 Belém (led by Global Renewables Alliance & IRENA)

Lead organiser: International Hydropower Association (IHA)

Format: Panel Session

Event Contact Point: Debbie Gray

Event summary:  

As countries plan for their net zero targets, substantially more long duration energy storage will be needed to support the integration of variable renewable energy, this is known as the crisis within the crisis. Various storage technologies exist or are being developed. Of particular importance is pumped storage hydropower (PSH), a mature and proven technology that already provides around 90% of installed electricity storage globally.  

Governments around the world are starting to consider pumped storage as critical to enabling their net zero and renewable energy ambitions. To support this ambition, at COP29, the IHA launched the Global Alliance for Pumped Storage (GAPS). GAPS has 60 participating governments and intergovernmental organisations and provides knowledge sharing through meetings and workshops.  

In addition, IHA created a toolkit to support policymakers. One of the critical recommendations is that to best support the much-needed growth in pumped storage, there is a need for governments to assess how much flexibility and energy storage they will need as part of planning for the grids of the future. To best support pumped storage developments, policymakers must also recognise that pumped storage projects require revenue certainty, due to the high capital expenditure and longer periods for construction. Therefore, creating enabling policy frameworks are critical.  

This session will introduce pumped storage, and its challenges through a question and answer format to help us understand the importance of PSH to the grid and how it can be harnessed to drive forward the clean energy transition. Panellists will describe existing projects and share their insight into what the future for pumped storage may hold, if the right policies are put into place.

Speakers:  

Eddie Rich, CEO, IHA  

Gonzalo Saenz De Miera, Director of Climate Change and Alliances, Iberdrola

Sam Peacock, Managing Director of Corporate Affairs, Regulation and Strategy, SSE

Dr Arun Kumar Sharma, Adani Group