Tata Power plans 2800MW pumped hydro projects in West India
Pamela Largue
Posted on: 10 August 2023
Tata Power has signed a contract with the Government of Maharashtra to develop pumped hydro projects with a combined capacity of 2800MW.
Power company Tata Power has signed a contract with the Government of Maharashtra in India to develop two large pumped hydro storage projects with a combined capacity of 2800MW.
The projects will be situated in the districts of Shirawta, Pune (1800 MW) and Bhivpuri, Raigad (1000 MW) districts and will require an investment of approximately Rs. 13000 Cr ($1.6 billion).
According to Tata Power, the partnership with the Government of Maharashtra aims to support economic development, create jobs, boost renewables uptake and stabilise the region's grid.
Pumped hydro will enhance energy security by providing peaking and continuous power supply to support more intermittent renewables such as solar and wind.
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“Pumped hydro storage is a reliable and efficient way to store energy, and these projects will support the renewable solar and wind projects to ensure reliable, 24/7 consistent power supply, "said Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD of Tata Power.
Tata Power currently operates three hydropower projects in the region, namely; Khopoli Hydro Generating Station, Bhivpuri Hydro Generating Station, and Bhira Hydro Generating Station which includes a 150MW pumped hydro project.
Pumped hydro in India
The Western Ghats, the location of these projects, is a mountainous area in India and has ideal topography and geology for the development of pumped storage projects. And this is not the only area offering this potential.
According to the International Hydropower Association, India ranks globally amongst the largest installed capacity of hydropower with close to 100 hydropower plants above 25MW, plus nine pumped storage stations. The government formally recognised large hydropower as renewable in 2019 and in 2021 included hydropower in the Renewable Purchase Obligation.
India is planning for 18.8GW of pumped hydropower capacity to support the integration of wind and solar by 2032.
