GE Vernova to deliver pumped-storage units for India’s Upper Sileru hydro plant

GE Vernova has secured an order from Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) for nine 150MW pumped-storage units for the 1.35GW Upper Sileru pumped-storage hydropower plant.

The Upper Sileru pumped hydro plant, located in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, is set to be operational by 2030.

Once complete it will be able to power approximately three million homes annually, as well as provide the necessary peak demand management and balancing to mitigate the intermittency of increasing renewables.

GE Vernova will supply nine vertical Francis reversible units, which are designed for operational flexibility and a long service life. The GE Vernova team will also be responsible for the design, engineering, manufacturing, testing, supply, transportation, and supervision of the nine units, as well as the control and governing systems.

Frederic Ribieras, Hydro Power Chief Executive Officer at GE Vernova, commented in a statement: “Pumped-storage projects are critical to help build a more sustainable energy landscape in India and in the world, stabilising the grid and balancing variable renewable energies- at a very large scale, and for a long lifetime.”

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This is GE Vernova and MEIL’s second pumped storage project. GE Vernova is currently delivering four 125MW fixed speed pumped-storage units for the new Kundah hydropower plant in India.

GE Vernova has also recently delivered four 250MW pumped storage variable speed systems at the Tehri pumped-Storage Hydropower Plant for THDC India Limited’s, part of the Tehri Hydropower Complex.

According to India’s Council for Energy Environment and Water, India has 176GW of exploitable pumped storage potential with a 4,795MW potential in Odisha alone,  due to the region’s rich water bodies and reservoirs.

The International Hydropower Association highlights that numerous states in India made project development announcements in 2023, with ~10% of hydropower potential under construction. Many large-scale projects were announced in 2023–24 or reached an MOU stage, including 2GW in Odisha, 7.35GW in Maharashtra, 11.2GW potential in Madhya Pradesh and 13GW in Arunachal Pradesh.