Singareni to set up 100 MW pumped storage hydro-electric project at Jawahar Khani

According to sources, Tata Consultancy has been entrusted with the task to look into the cost and benefits of the hydropower project.

Hyderabad: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is planning to set up a 100 megawatt pumped storage hydro-electric project at Jawahar Khani opencast mine in Yellandu mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

According to sources, Tata Consultancy has been entrusted with the task to look into the cost and benefits of the hydropower project. The consultancy has been asked to prepare estimates on solar power plant capacity, cost, pumped storage hydel project cost and production capacity, the sources added.

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The Singareni management is planning to utilize the water coming out of the surface mines to generate hydel power. Officials say a reservoir would be constructed with cement to store water on a bund and fill it with water from the mine during the day with the help of solar power and released back into the mine to generate hydroelectric power at night. When demand for electricity peaks in the evening, water flows from the reservoir to the mines, passing through reversible turbines to generate electricity, the officials said, adding that this process forms an efficient energy storage system with rapid response capabilities.

The company was planning to take up the project on a pilot basis in Jawahar Khani opencast so that such projects could be taken up in other open cast mines, the officials stated.

“If the pumped storage hydel project is successful, Singareni will have the ability to generate electricity at low cost at night. There will be no need to depend on Discoms for electricity anymore,”the officials said. “In this way the company need not depend on thermal power to run its mine during the night. This will save a lot of money for the company,”officials said.

Stating that Pumped Storage Hydropower was emerging as a reliable and versatile technology with the potential to shape a sustainable energy future, the officials said, adding that it acts as a bridge, storing excess energy during surpluses and releasing it when needed. This maximises renewable energy utilisation, advancing a cleaner and more sustainable energy mix.

Pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH), or pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES), is a type of hydroelectric energy storage used by electric power systems for load balancing. The method stores energy in the form of gravitational potential energy of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation.

Compared to battery storage, PSH is considered more cost-effective and efficient. Its energy conversion rates often exceed 80 per cent, and PSH systems are known for their reliability and longevity. Their scalability and adaptability make them suitable for various terrains, and they leave a minimal environmental footprint.