Hyderabad: Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) will be investing Rs 21,000 crore in setting up two pumped storage hydro projects in Maharashtra with a total capacity of 4000MW.
The two projects, MEIL’s first pumped storage hydro projects that it will set up under the build-operate-maintain (BOM) mode, include the Kamod pumped storage project in Nandurbar and Ghosla pumped storage project in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.The two projects will create around 2,500 jobs.
While the Ghosla project is expected to be completed within three and a half years, the Kamod project is expected to be completed in five years, the Hyderabad-based company said on Thursday.
The two pumped storage projects will have newly constructed reservoirs – upper and lower reservoirs in a closed loop system that will generate power. The two project will be off-stream and will provide a minimum of six hours of energy storage on a daily basis.
A powerhouse equipped with reversible pump turbines, generators, and other ancillary systems will be installed between the two reservoirs that will be 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 will be replenished annually to compensate for losses due to evaporation and seepage.
MEIL pointed out that pumped storage projects are recognised for their cost-effective energy storage, grid management, frequency regulation, and integration with renewable energy sources.
Speaking at the MoU signing with Maharashtra water resources department in the presence of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, MEIL president RVR Kishore said these projects will not only address Maharashtra’s energy needs but also drive the state’s development.