Aliyar Pumped Storage Project: Bids floated for tech consultant
TNIDB is supporting the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) in implementing the Aliyar PSP under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model
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CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board (TNIDB), the nodal agency for infrastructure development in the State, has invited bids to appoint a technical consultant to carry out surveys and prepare technical reports for the proposed Aliyar Pumped Storage Project (Aliyar PSP), an 1,800-MW project.
TNIDB is supporting the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) in implementing the Aliyar PSP under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The project is designed to deliver six hours of peak power supply daily, supported by a seven-hour off-peak pumping cycle, contributing significantly to the State’s energy resilience and grid stability. It aims to harness the hydraulic head between the existing Upper Aliyar and Lower Aliyar dams/reservoirs, making efficient use of existing infrastructure to transfer energy during peak demand periods. A Pre-Feasibility Report has already been prepared, with TNIDB playing a key role in moving the project towards execution.
As part of the project’s preparatory phase, TNIDB will appoint a reputed technical consultant to conduct comprehensive technical assessments and provide bid process support. The consultant will undertake a range of critical surveys and studies, including topographical surveys over 180 hectares, surface geological mapping, and geophysical investigations such as Electrical Resistivity Tomography and Seismic Refraction Tomography over 2,000 meters of the proposed layout.
The assessments will evaluate site suitability in terms of foundation conditions, slope stability, erosion protection, water tightness, and other vital geotechnical parameters critical to the viability and design of pumped storage infrastructure. Based on the findings, the consultant will also prepare a phased geotechnical investigation plan, to be submitted for approval to authorities such as the Geological Survey of India, Central Water Commission, Central Electricity Authority and CSMRS.
The Aliyar PSP is one of 15 pumped storage projects identified by TNGECL for development across Tamil Nadu. Of these, the 1,000 MW Upper Bhavani PSP has already been allotted to NTECL on a joint venture basis, with work on the Detailed Project Report (DPR) currently underway. For the remaining 14 projects, with a combined potential of 13,500 MW, the state government has given in-principle approval for execution under the PPP model.
TNGECL has also issued a call for ‘expressions of interest’ from private developers for the future development of pumped storage schemes — signalling the state’s continued commitment to expanding its green energy portfolio.
