Singareni plans State’s first pumped storage power project near closed Medipally OC mine

HYDERABAD

The Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) is planning to establish the State’s first pumped storage (hydel) power project with 500 megawatt capacity as part of its plans of diversification and business expansion towards making the organisation sustainable in the wake of increasing competition in the field of coal mining.

In addition to its main activity of coal mining, the company has already entered into thermal and solar power generation areas. The decision to go for a pumped storage power project was taken following the directions from the State government, which holds a majority stake of 51% in the company.

After preliminary study on the scope of the pumped storage project, the company has decided to entrust the task of detail project report (DPR) preparation to the Central Government agency WAPCOS. The letter of award for DPR preparation was given to the company at a meeting held here on Saturday.

According to Chairman and Managing Director of the SCCL N. Balaram, the pumped storage power project is being planned at the water storage area (sump) created following the closure of Medipally opencast mine in the Ramagundam-I area. He stated that neither the State power utility Genco nor any private company has planned/materialised a pumped storage power project in Telangana so far, though several such projects were taken up in the neighbouring States.

Deputy Chief Minister M. Bhatti Vikramarka, who handles the portfolios of Energy and Finance, has already visited the closed Medipally opencast mine area before giving a go ahead for the new venture. The WAPCOS would take up a comprehensive study before preparing the DPR - including geological, geotechnical and hydrology studies as also civil, mechanical and electrical designs, environmental aspects and safety works.

The estimated cost of the project, time for its execution and sale of energy generated at the project would be included in the DPR to be prepared by WAPCOS. Mr. Balaram explained that a 157-meter deep water sump/tank was created with the abandonment of the Medipally opencast mine after the extraction of coal reserves there and the rainwater stored in it would be available round-the-year. The cost of the project is expected to be around ₹3,000 crore and it would have a life of 40 years – generating cheap energy for 40 years.

Another reservoir with 2,350 meters length and 23-meter depth in the upstream area would be created with the same water-holding capacity (9.64 million cubic meters) and aout 8 million cubic meters of rainwater in the sump downstream would be pumped into to the upstream stream reservoir in day-time with the help of solar energy. In the night, the water pumped into the upstream reservoir would be channelised into turbines to generate hydel energy.