MEIL signs MoU for 4 GW of pumped storage in Maharashtra, India

MEIL signs an MoU with Maharashtra Govt to develop 4000 MW Capacity 2 Pumped Storage Projects

Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Maharashtra, India, to develop two pumped storage projects with a total capacity of 4 GW.

The Kamod Pumped Storage Project in Nandurbar District and the Ghosla Pumped Storage Project in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar District will be the first time MEIL executes pumped storage hydro projects under the “build-operate-maintain” (BOM) method.

These two projects will involve an estimated investment of INR21,100 crore (US$2.5 million) and are expected to generate employment for about 2,500 people. MEIL plans to complete the Ghosla Pumped Storage Project within three and a half years, while the Kamod Pumped Storage Project is expected to be completed in five years.

The two pumped storage projects are off-stream and are planned to provide a minimum of six hours of energy storage on a daily basis. The pumped storage projects will have newly constructed upper and lower reservoirs in a closed loop system.

A powerhouse equipped with reversible pump turbines, generators, and other ancillary systems will be installed between the two reservoirs, interconnected through a water conductor system. The reversible turbines will pump water during non-peak hours and generate power during peak demand. Water for the projects will be drawn from existing reservoirs or dams for initial filling and replenished annually to compensate for losses due to evaporation and seepage.

Earlier this month, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and the Maharashtra government signed a memorandum of understanding to build pumped storage projects with a total capacity of 7,350 MW. The MoU was signed as per the Policy of Govt. of Maharashtra for Development of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) in the state. This MoU covers the establishment of PSPs in Maharashtra with a total capacity of 7,350 MW — focusing on survey, investigation and detailed project report (DPR) preparation — along with the timely implementation as per Central and State Government policies.

Similarly, in August 2023, Hydro Review reported that the Maharashtra government signed an MoU with Tata Power to develop two large PSPs with combined capacity of 2,800 MW. Tata Power has an installed/managed capacity of 14,302 MW and has a presence in generation of renewable energy, as well as conventional power including hydro and thermal energy, transmission and distribution, and trading. Tata Power’s 5,442 MW of clean energy generation from solar, wind, hydro and waste heat recovery accounts for 38% of the overall portfolio.

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