Telangana to have yet another pumped-storage hydroelectric project

A private company plans to build the facility adjacent to Mailaram village in Nizamabad district in Telangana at an estimated cost of INR 32.93 billion. It is another off-stream closed loop pumped storage hydro-electric plant of 600 MW that is being planned for establishment in the state. In the pumped hydel plant, the project's backers intend to have one unit with a capacity of 300 MW and two more units, each with a capacity of 150 MW. The project is being planned on an area of 419.43 hectares including 259.26 hectares of forested land, according to a proposal presented to the expert appraisal committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) on river valley and hydro-electric projects. The committee was informed that the project would require a one-time requirement of 0.438 tmc ft water, proposed to be drawn from nearby Kappal Vagu, a tributary of Pedda Vagu rivulet, with non consumptive re-utilisation of 0.342 tmc ft water for re-circulation between the two proposed reservoirs, during the appraisal of the proposal taken up on December 28 for issuance of terms of reference. The proposed capacities for the upper reservoir and lower reservoir, respectively, are 0.347 tmc ft and 0.342 tmc ft live storage. It would have two circular steel-lined penstocks, one measuring 559.39 metres in length to feed the two 150 MW units and the other measuring 659.39 metres in length to serve the 300 MW unit. Reversible turbines would be used to produce electricity in all three units. By linking the line to 440KV/220KV TS-Transco sub-station at Yanampalli, it is envisaged to construct a 400 KV double circuit transmission line with double moose conductor to evacuate the power generated in the project. The project's supporters claimed to the committee that it would employ 1,200 people, 800 of whom would come from the local area and 400 from neighbouring regions.