Larsen & Toubro to build US$1bn pumped storage project in India

The project for JSW Energy is designed to have a total installed capacity of 1,500 MW.

The upper reservoir will be in the village of Jamunde, Tehsil Igatpuri, in the Nashik district, while the lower reservoir will be in the village of Kalbhonde, Tehsil Shahpur, in the Thane district.

Structures will include a 48m-high, 954.5-metre-long upper rockfill dam, and a 72-metre-high, 462-metre-long lower concrete gravity dam.

There will be three 7-metre-diameter intake tunnels, each 67.6 metres long, along with three 5.2-metre-diameter, 1,712-metre-long, steel-lined pressure shafts. Construction also involves an underground powerhouse.

Larsen & Toubro’s contract involves the execution of all civil works related to the project, including the construction of approach roads, upper and lower reservoirs, water conductor system, pressure tunnels, and the underground powerhouse unit.

The total value of the project has been estimated at INR 9,058.1 crore (US$1 billion), although Larsen & Toubro classified its contract as “significant”, which falls into the range of INR 1,000-2,500 crore (US$116.8 million – US$292 million).

The Bhavali Pumped Storage Project is expected to take 36 months to complete.