The 1,440MW MP 30 Gandhi Sagar Off-stream Pumped Storage Project (PSP) is planned to be developed by Greenko Energies in Neemuch District of Madhya Pradesh, India.

The project will have two interconnected reservoirs at different elevations, and water will be pumped up in the upper reservoir for storage. During peak demand, the water will be released to generate power.

The PSP will have a daily storage capacity of 11GWh. It is being built with an estimated investment of INR100bn ($1.21bn).

The project will allow Madhya Pradesh to meet its statutory Renewable Power Obligation (RPO) and Energy Storage Obligation (ESO) targets.

Project Gallery

MP 30 Gandhi Sagar is expected to provide job opportunities to more than 4,000 people and will be connected to the Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) network after completion.

A Pre-Feasibility Study Report (PFS) of the project was published in November 2020.

According to PFS, the construction of the project was proposed to be completed within 3.5 years, including infrastructure development.

The MP 30 Gandhi Sagar is expected to be commissioned in December 2024.

Location and Site Details

The upper reservoir of MP 30 Gandhi Sagar Pumped Storage Project will be constructed near a village in Khemla Block, Rampura Taluk of Neemuch District.

The existing lower reservoir (Gandhi Sagar reservoir) is situated near Gandhi Sagar village of Mandsaur district.

The construction of the pumped storage project will cover an estimated land area of about 402.50 hectares (ha).

The nearest airport to the project site is located in Neemuch, around 85km away. The site can be accessed via SH 31A road.

Key MP 30 Project Infrastructure

The infrastructure of MP 30 Gandhi Sagar Pumped Storage Project will include lower and upper reservoirs, RCC intake structure, penstock/pressure shafts, and power house.

Other infrastructure will include Tail Race Channel, Tailrace Outlet Structure outlet and hydro-mechanical equipment, electromechanical equipment and power evacuation infrastructure.

MP 30 Gandhi Sagar Pumped Storage Project Details

The MP 30 Gandhi Sagar Pumped Storage project will involve the construction of upper reservoir in Khemla Block, while the existing Gandhi Sagar reservoir will function as lower reservoir.

A rockfill embankment with a maximum height of 35m will be constructed for creation of upper reservoir of 1.80 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) gross storage capacity.

The lower reservoir has a gross storage capacity of 258.47TMC.

The Full Reservoir levels (FRL) of the upper and lower reservoirs are EL +523m and EL 400m, respectively.

Six independent Penstock/ Pressure shafts of 7.5m diameter will be used for the project. These will take off from Intake structure equipped with trash rack and gates located in upper reservoir.

The Surface Power House in the downstream of the intake structure will feature five vertical-axis Reversible Francis type units composed each of generator/motor and a pump/turbine having generated/pumping capacity of 240MW / 251MW capacity and two units of 120MW/ 135MW capacity.

The length of the five penstocks will be 683.48m each to the powerhouse location. The other one will have a length of 607.23m.

The pressure shaft will be designed to withstand the internal water pressure and external pressure from rock.

According to the PFS, the power house and all associated components will be situated on the surface.

There will be seven separate outlets to discharge water from the tail race tunnel. An 860m long tail race channel will be used to discharge tail water from the machines to lower reservoir.

The project will have a total design discharge 1326.75 cubic metres (cumec).

Power Evacuation

The pumped storage project will have One Double Circuit Transmission Line connecting the project to the existing substation. It will be used for both- evacuation of stored power during generating mode and for supply during pumping mode.

The details of four existing substations have been collected for the purpose includes a 400/200kV PGCIL substation at Kota, Rajasthan; 400/220kV PGCIL substation at Dabri, Nagada, Madhya Pradesh; 765/400kV PGCIL substation at Chittorgarh, Rajasthan; 765/400kV PGCIL substation at Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

The final selection will be taken based on transmission line route feasibility, bay availability, and existing transformer capacity etc.

Contractors Involved

In September 2022, technology group ANDRITZ was selected by Greenko for the delivery of electromechanical equipment for MP 30 Gandhi Sagar Pumped Storage Project.

The scope of the project includes design, manufacture, supply, transport, erection, testing, and commissioning of five 240MW and two 120MW reversible pump units; main inlet valves and associated auxiliaries.

Larsen & Toubro’s Heavy Civil Infrastructure Business received a contract in November 2022 for civil and hydromechanical works of the project. A consortium led by Larsen & Toubro will execute the contract.

The Environmental Impact Assessment of the project, published in December 2020, was prepared by RS Envirolink Technologies.