Kadamparai Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant Latest News
Kadamparai Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant, Tamil Nadu’s only facility with reversible two-way turbines, is struggling to stay operational as it is beyond its design life, functioning at just 25% capacity.
About Kadamparai Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant
- It is a 400 MW hydropower project located in the Kadamparai river basin in Tamil Nadu.
- Commissioned in 1987, it was the state’s first pumped storage unit and remains unique for its ability to operate in both generator and motor modes.
- When the grid needs power, water is released from the upper dam at Kadamparai to the Lower Aliyar Dam, driving the turbines to generate electricity.
- During the night, with wind and solar creating surplus power in the grid, the same turbines reverse into pump mode and act as motors and push water back from the lower dam to the upper dam, effectively storing energy for the next demand cycle.
- The Kadamparai Dam has a storage capacity of 1,080 mcft, while the Lower Aliyar Dam holds 937 mcft.
- Using a minimum of 4 mcft from the upper dam, each unit can produce 100 MW (1 lakh units) per hour.
- With four units, the plant’s installed capacity is 400 MW per hour.
Source: NIE
Last updated on August, 2026
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