India
-Krishna Kripa
Maharashtra
has
initiated
its
first
pumped
storage
hydropower
project
in
the
cooperative
sector,
investing
Rs
1,008
crore
with
a
240
MW
capacity.
Chief
Minister
Devendra
Fadnavis
announced
this
at
the
MoU
signing
between
the
State
Water
Resources
Department
and
TatyAsaheb
Kore
Warana
Sahakari
Navashakti
Nirmiti
Sanstha
Ltd
in
Mumbai.
The
project
is
seen
as
essential
for
meeting
future
renewable
energy
demands.
image
The
project,
located
at
Tillari,
will
use
the
Kodali
dam
in
Kolhapur
as
the
upper
reservoir
and
Kendre
dam
in
Sindhudurg
as
the
lower
reservoir.
Developed
under
a
Public-Private
Partnership
model,
it
is
expected
to
create
around
300
jobs.
Fadnavis
emphasised
the
importance
of
pumped
storage
in
regulating
electricity
generation
according
to
demand,
which
is
vital
for
long-term
energy
needs.
Renewable
Energy
Expansion
Fadnavis
highlighted
Maharashtra’s
geographical
advantage
due
to
the
Western
Ghats,
which
provide
significant
potential
for
such
projects.
He
mentioned
that
the
state
has
already
signed
MoUs
for
16
projects
with
a
combined
capacity
of
65,000
MW,
aiming
to
increase
this
to
1
lakh
MW.
Additionally,
Rs
1
lakh
crore
will
be
invested
in
power
transmission
infrastructure
by
2035.
The
Warana
Group’s
involvement
was
praised
by
Fadnavis,
who
noted
their
significant
contribution
to
the
cooperative
sector
and
now
to
renewable
energy.
“Just
as
the
Warana
Group
has
made
a
mark
in
the
cooperative
sector,
it
will
now
also
contribute
significantly
to
the
renewable
energy
transition,” he
stated.
Economic
and
Environmental
Impact
According
to
officials,
the
project
will
incur
an
annual
reservoir
usage
fee
of
Rs
1.33
lakh
per
megawatt
per
reservoir.
Water
charges
and
land
rent
will
be
applied
at
current
industrial
rates.
So
far,
agreements
with
15
agencies
have
led
to
45
projects
with
a
total
planned
generation
of
62,125
MW,
attracting
Rs
3.41
lakh
crore
in
investment
and
creating
over
96,000
jobs.
The
state’s
Renewable
Energy
Policy
for
2023
is
considered
progressive
and
supportive
of
the
sector’s
growth.
Vinay
Kore
expressed
confidence
in
the
policy’s
ability
to
aid
rapid
development.
The
Warana
Group
is
dedicated
to
ensuring
the
project’s
success
and
swift
execution.
Water
Usage
and
Revenue
The
state
will
need
14.62
TMC
water
for
initial
filling
and
two
TMC
annually
for
replenishment
across
all
pumped
storage
projects.
This
water
usage
is
projected
to
generate
Rs
579.69
crore
from
initial
use
and
Rs
80.52
crore
annually
in
recurring
revenue
for
Maharashtra’s
exchequer.
This
initiative
marks
a
significant
step
towards
sustainable
energy
solutions
in
Maharashtra,
leveraging
natural
resources
effectively
while
boosting
economic
growth
through
job
creation
and
infrastructure
development.
With
inputs
from
PTI
