GE Vernova has commissioned the first of four 250 megawatts (MW) variable speed pumped storage units at the Tehri Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant in Uttarakhand, India. The project is part of a 1 gigawatt (GW) expansion of the Tehri Hydropower Complex, which is expected to reach a total generating capacity of 2.4 GW upon completion.
The project, undertaken for THDC India Limited, includes four hydropower variable speed pumped storage units designed to provide faster response to load changes, supporting grid flexibility. The hydropower complex’s reservoir is also intended to support irrigation and drinking water needs during non-monsoon periods in the region.
“With this project, Tehri will become India’s first power plant to use variable speed pumped storage technology and the country’s most modern hydropower station. With fast transition between the turbine and pump operation, the four new units are expected to enable power control, leading to significantly improved grid flexibility. These are all crucial capabilities as more renewables are integrated into the country’s energy mix,” said Frederic Ribieras, CEO of GE Vernova’s hydropower business.
The Tehri Hydropower Complex consists of the 1 GW Tehri Hydropower Plant commissioned in 2006, the 400 MW Koteshwar Hydropower Plant commissioned in 2012, and the ongoing 1 GW pumped storage expansion where GE Vernova is supplying the four 250 MW variable speed systems.
GE Vernova is providing a full water to wire solution for the project, which includes hydropower generating equipment, power electronics, control systems, and the integration of doubly fed induction motor generators and associated pump turbines.
Pumped storage technology allows water to be pumped to an upper reservoir during periods of low electricity demand and released to generate power during peak demand, providing long-duration energy storage. According to the International Hydropower Association, pumped storage represents approximately 94 percent of total global energy storage capacity.
GE Vernova has a broad operational footprint in India, with five technology and engineering centers, 11 manufacturing sites, and a workforce of over 10,000 employees, including more than 3,000 engineers and technologists.
GE Vernova Inc. is an energy company with operations across power, wind, and electrification. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, and operates in approximately 100 countries with about 75,000 employees worldwide.