Tata Power to Develop 2,800 MW of Pumped Hydro Storage Projects in Maharashtra
Tata Power Company Ltd. will be constructing 2,800 MW of Pumped Hydro storage (PSP) projects in Maharashtra. MoU for these projects was signed between Tata Power and Government of Maharashtra in August 2023.
These projects comprise two PSPs: one of 1,800 MW in Shirawta, Pune and the other in Bhivpuri, Raigad of 1000 MW. These projects will be executed via Tata Power’s subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy.
Shirawta PSP Project to be Developed with Rs. 11,000 Cr. Investment
During the recently held Distribution Utility Meet in Mumbai, Mr. Praveer Sinha, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director, shared that Tata Power will invest Rs. 11,000 crore for developing the Shirawta PSP. Work on this project is expected to begin in July 2026, and it is expected to get commissioned in 2030. As for the mode of financing, Tata Power will fund it with a combination of debt and equity in a 70:30 ratio respectively.
Bhivpuri Off-stream Open Loop Pumped Storage Hydro Project
PSP project in Bhivpuri received environmental clearance in May 2025. The construction is now in progress, and the project is expected to be commissioned by August 2028. As per the Environmental Clearance report, the estimated total cost of this project is Rs. 4,743.59 crore.
According to recent reports, commercial and industrial customers for the Bhivpuri PSP are anticipated to be onboarded in the next six months.
Construction Details for Bhivpuri PSP
Bhivpuri PSP project will utilize two reservoirs, where they will utilize the existing Thokarwadi reservoir in Pune district as the upper reservoir, which has gross storage capacity of 12.485 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet).
Lower reservoir for this PSP will be constructed near Bhivpuri town, Raigad. To develop the Lower reservoir (equipped with bottom outlet) a 1899.0 m long Geomembrane Faced Rockfill Embankment Dam (GFRD) will be constructed, and its height would be 28 m. The gross capacity of this lower reservoir would be 0.163 TMC. The submergence area for this lower reservoir will be 29.24 Ha, and its catchment area will be about 0.205 sq.Km.
This project entails construction of a concrete lined, circular Primary Head Race Tunnel (HRT) which will be 1,981.70 m long and 8.3 m in diameter. Further, 5 Tail Race Tunnels (TRTs), each of length 230.21 m and 4.50 m diameter will be constructed*.
*Head Race Tunnels transport water from the upper reservoir to the powerhouse where turbines generate electricity, whereas Tail Race Tunnels are usually underground conduits which transport the water to the lower reservoir after it has been used to turn the turbines.
Total installed capacity of the powerhouse at Bhivpuri PSP will be 1000 MW, generated from 6 units, in which 4 units will generate 200 MW each and the other 2 units will generate 100 MW each.
Apart from this, upper lake Intake System, water conducting systems, surge shaft, pit powerhouse, and lower intake system will also be constructed for the Bhivpuri PSP.
Bhivpuri PSP to be Developed over 117 Hectare of Land
Bhivpuri PSP falls under Pune and Raigad districts. This project will require 117.41 ha of land; of which, forest land is 20.15 ha and Non-forest land is 97.26 ha. Of the 97.26 ha Non-Forest Land, 93.82 ha land already belongs to Tata Power, while the remaining 3.44 ha land is private land that will be used for roads and Head Race Tunnel (HRT).
India in Process of Adding Pumped Hydro Storage Capacity
PIB release dated 12th April 2025, mentions that Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has received 6 Hydro projects(PSPs) DPRs during FY25. The total power capacity of these PSPs is about 7.5 GW and the location for these PSPs are: Upper Indravati in Odisha (600 MW), Sharavathy in Karnataka (2,000 MW), Bhivpuri in Maharashtra (1,000 MW), MP-30 in Madhya Pradesh (1,920 MW), and Chitravathi in Andhra Pradesh (500 MW).
According to another PIB release dated 28th July 2025, India currently has 10 PSPs commissioned with an aggregate installed capacity of 6.2 GW. Apart from this, 8 PSPs are under construction with aggregate capacity of 8.5 GW, while 5 PSPs have been approved by CEA with an aggregate capacity of 5.8 MW. Further, 46 PSPs with aggregate capacity of 64.8 GW are in survey and investigation stage. This report points towards the growth of PSP installations in India.
About Tata Power Company Ltd.: Mumbai-headquartered Tata Power has an installed generation capacity of over 15.56 GW in its portfolio, out of which 43% comes from RE projects such as solar, wind, hybrid, hydro, and waste heat recovery projects. The company reported a turnover of Rs. 66,992.17 crore for FY25.