The Maharashtra government's Water Resources Department (WRD) has signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) last month for pump storage hydro power projects with a combined capacity of 5,630 MW. The estimated investment is Rs 24,631 crore, and these projects are expected to create 10,300 employment opportunities.
WRD as the nodal agency, signed MOUs with Mahagenco, Tata Power, and Avaada Group to develop the hydro power projects. Avaada Group will develop two pumped storage projects with a combined capacity of 2,750 MW. Tata Power has committed to developing two pumped hydro storage projects in the state: a 1,000 MW project at Bhivpuri in Raigad district and an 1,800 MW project at Shirawata in Pune district. These include the 1,500 MW Pawana-Falyan pump storage project in Pune and Raigad districts and the 1,250 MW Kumbhavade project in Kolhapur and Ratnagiri districts.
Avaada plans to invest approx. Rs 14,000 crore in these projects over the next five to seven years. The company aims to commission these projects by financial years 2027 and 2028, respectively, with a proposed capital investment of Rs 13,000 crore.
Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, stated that these MOUs would contribute to achieving the target of generating 50 percent of total power through renewable sources by 2030. Mahagenco plans to develop an 80 MW pump storage project at the Koyna left bank dam foot power house to enhance its power generation capacity.
