The contract awarded by Torrent Energy Storage Solutions, a subsidiary of the Indian private power producer and supplier, includes the design, engineering and execution of all civil and hydro-mechanical components of the project.
The 3000 MW project, comprising 10 reversible pump turbines, each of 300 MW, will be India’s largest pumped-storage hydropower facility to date. The project will require the construction of new upper and lower reservoirs and will be capable of delivering six-hour discharge daily, implying an energy storage capacity of 18 GWh. Once completed, the Saidongar-1 project is expected to contribute to grid reliability and energy security in Maharashtra and other regions connected to the state’s power network.
Torrent Energy Solutions was originally established under the name Torrent PSH 3, and Saidongar-1 will be its parent company’s first pumped-storage project. Torrent Power signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Maharashtra’s Department of Water Resources to establish the project in September 2024. According to a draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) produced by Aarvee Engineering Consultants for Torrent Power, the project obtained updated Terms of Reference (ToR) for its mandatory impact assessments in January 2025 from the Indian government’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), following a change in planning, from a closed-loop plant to an open-loop design.
The project in the Maharashtra district of Raigad has an estimated total cost of INR 130.17 billion (US$ 1.43 billion) and is expected to take up to 45 months to complete, according to the draft EIA.
