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PURULIA PSS

Hydro power plant in West Bengal, India. Approximate location 23.1975, 86.097.

HydroWest BengalIndiapumped storage

PURULIA PSS is a 900 MW hydro power station in West Bengal, India. It is operated by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution CO (WBSEDCO) [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 1,098 GWh, it can supply roughly 314k homes. It ranks #413 of 2,229 India power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2007, it is around 19 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 8.6% of India's electricity; the national grid averages 670 gCO₂/kWh (26.7% low-carbon) (2025).

900Source-backed capacity
1,098GWh reported / yr
313,857homes powered
2007commissioned (~19 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id IND0000347.

Data status

Known data

FacilityPURULIA PSS WRI
CountryIndia · West Bengal WRI
Coordinates23.1975, 86.097 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity900 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerWest Bengal State Electricity Distribution CO (WBSEDCO) [100%] WRI
Commissioned2007 WRI
Technologypumped storage WRI
GWh reported / yr1,098 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#413 of 2229 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#11 of 233 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers11.25× · 80 MW median · 233 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent313,857 calculated from reported generation
Climate25.9°C · HDD 0 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 38/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000602002); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 900 MW, PURULIA PSS is well above the median hydro plant in India (80 MW). Technically it is described as pumped storage. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2014: 1,402 GWh20142015: 1,059 GWh20152016: 1,101 GWh20162017: 1,009 GWh20172018: 1,098 GWh20181k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution CO (WBSEDCO) [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 23.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

25.9°Cannual mean temp
0heating degree-days (base 18°C)
2,883cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
259 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 19 °CJF: 22 °CFM: 26 °CMA: 31 °CAM: 32 °CMJ: 30 °CJJ: 28 °CJA: 28 °CAS: 28 °CSO: 26 °CON: 22 °CND: 19 °CD32 °C

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
38/100environmental-severity index
13.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
190 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #11 largest hydro power plant of 233 in India by capacity.

India has 233 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 45,527 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 23.1975, 86.097 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is PURULIA PSS?

PURULIA PSS is a 900 MW source-record hydro power plant in West Bengal, India, commissioned in 2007.

How much electricity does PURULIA PSS generate?

PURULIA PSS generates about 1,098 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can PURULIA PSS power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 313,857 homes.

Who operates PURULIA PSS?

PURULIA PSS is operated by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution CO (WBSEDCO) [100%].

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