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Velimalai Pumped Storage
The 1,100 MW Velimalai Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project in Kanniyakumari district receives Terms of Reference (ToR) clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. The project is proposed at Vellimalai in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, under a public-private partnership model.
Velimalai Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Current trigger | The project has been granted Terms of Reference (ToR) clearance by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. |
| Location | The project is developed at Vellimalai in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. |
| Installed capacity | The project comprises 1,100 MW pumped hydropower storage capacity. |
| Implementation model | The project is developed under the public-private partnership model on a build-own-operate-transfer basis in accordance with Section 63 of the Electricity Act. |
| System type | The project is planned as a closed-loop off-river system. |
| Powerhouse configuration | The project comprises an underground powerhouse comprising 4 units of 275 MW each. |
| Reservoirs and storage | The project comprises 2 new off-river reservoirs: the upper reservoir has a gross storage capacity of 4.39 million cubic metres, and the lower reservoir, upstream of the existing Mambazhathuraiyar dam, has a gross storage capacity of 4.91 million cubic metres. |
| Pumping design | The project is designed to pump about 3.94 million cubic metres of water to the upper reservoir over 6.94 hours during off-peak periods. |
| Generation plan | Electricity generation is planned for 6 hours a day using stored water, with peak annual energy generation estimated at 2,080.55 million KWh. |
| Water circulation | As a closed-loop off-river project, both reservoirs are artificially created, are not located on perennial rivers or streams, and water circulates between the two reservoirs in a controlled cycle with minimal reliance on natural inflows. |