Bhivpuri PSP

Notes

• An EAC × Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) The central committee of experts that recommends ToR and EC for river valley and hydro projects, including PSPs. More in glossary → team visited the site on 23 Feb 2024 during ToR × Terms of Reference (ToR) The list of studies an EIA must cover, set by the expert committee. Getting a ToR is the first clearance step, not a permission to build. More in glossary → appraisal; the EAC recommended EC × Environmental clearance (EC) The environment ministry's permission for a project, given after the EIA and public hearing, with conditions attached. More in glossary → on 30–31 Aug 2024, before its 27 Sep 2024 Western Ghats × Western Ghats / Sahyadri The 1,600 km mountain chain along India's west coast: older than the Himalaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a global biodiversity hotspot. More in glossary → site-visit rule (per SANDRP's tables of EAC minutes).
• EC letter May 2025.
• Final forest diversion × Forest clearance (Stage-I / Stage-II) Central permission to use forest land for a project. Stage-I is in-principle approval with conditions; Stage-II is final approval. More in glossary → order dated 5 Mar 2026 is for 20.14 ha (0.01 ha of the 20.15 ha turned out to be Tata Power land).
• EAC 63rd minutes (25 Sep 2026, item 63.6) recommended an EC amendment raising the lower reservoir's live storage from 4.5 to 5.5 MCM × MCM and TMC (water volume) MCM = million cubic metres. TMC = thousand million cubic feet, about 28.3 MCM. More in glossary → ; total land unchanged at 117.41 ha.
• Coordinates are from the EC (18°56′9.34″N 73°29′14.59″E, the existing Thokarwadi upper reservoir).
• FAC × Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) The central committee that recommends whether forest land may be diverted for a project. More in glossary → minutes: on 5 Mar 2025 the committee sent the 20.15 ha forest proposal (6,834 trees, canopy 0.6) to a sub-committee for a site visit × EAC site visit An inspection by EAC members. Since Sep 2024 the EAC wants one for every Western Ghats PSP before EC. More in glossary → , noting the site is inside the draft ESA × Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) About 56,825 sq km of the Western Ghats proposed for protection since 2014; still only a draft, reissued six times. More in glossary → , in a high-conservation DSS zone and 10.53 km from Bhimashankar WLS × Wildlife sanctuary (WLS) and tiger reserve Protected areas under the Wild Life (Protection) Act. A tiger reserve has an inviolate core and a surrounding buffer. More in glossary → ; on 16 Apr 2025 it recommended Stage-I.

Timeline

1. 20 July 2026 · Tender ReportedNot yet reviewed #

   Tata Power wins SECI award for 324 MW of Bhivpuri storage

   Details and documents

   Tata Power received a SECI letter of award for 324 MW / 2,592 MWh × MW, MWh and GWh MW is how fast power flows; MWh (or GWh = 1,000 MWh) is how much energy is stored or delivered. More in glossary → (8-hour) from its 1,000 MW Bhivpuri project, under SECI's PSP × Pumped storage project (PSP) Two reservoirs at different heights: water is pumped up when power is cheap and released through turbines when power is needed. More in glossary → -I tender for 1.5 GW across India. 40-year build-own-operate contract; tariff not disclosed.

   Bhivpuri PSP · pv magazine India

2. 5 March 2026 · Clearance Documented #

   Final forest diversion order for Bhivpuri: 20.14 ha

   Details and documents

   The final diversion order for Tata Power's Bhivpuri project covers 20.14 haⓘ×Documented“hence EC-stage 20.15 ha forest / 97.26 ha private is revised to 20.14 ha / 97.27 ha.”EAC 63rd meeting minutes, 25 Sep 2026 (item 63.6), page300 · 25 September 2026 of forest (0.01 haⓘ×Documented“1 Old reflects the corrected land classification; 0.01 ha earlier shown as forest is Tata Power non-forest land,”EAC 63rd meeting minutes, 25 Sep 2026 (item 63.6), page300 · 25 September 2026 of the original 20.15 haⓘ×Documented“hence EC-stage 20.15 ha forest / 97.26 ha private is revised to 20.14 ha / 97.27 ha.”EAC 63rd meeting minutes, 25 Sep 2026 (item 63.6), page300 · 25 September 2026 turned out to be company land), as recorded in the Sep 2026 EAC minutes.

   Bhivpuri PSP · EAC 63rd meeting minutes, 25 Sep 2026 (item 63.6)

3. May 2025 · Clearance Documented #

   Environmental clearance for Tata's Bhivpuri PSP

   Details and documents

   1,000 MWⓘ×Documented“with the Govt. of Maharashtra on 09th August 2023 for development of 1000 MW Bhivpuri”Bhivpuri EC, page16 / 6 GWhⓘ×DocumentedDerived on this site“MW for 6.02 hours. The storage capacity of existing upper Thokarwadi reservoir is 352.52”1,000 MW × 6.02 h ≈ 6 GWh.Bhivpuri EC, page15 using the existing Bhivpuri system; 20.15 haⓘ×Documented“117.41 ha of which 20.15 ha is forest land while 97.26 ha is non-forest land. Out of 97.26 ha”Bhivpuri EC, page15 of forest, the lowest per GWh among open-loop × Open loop A PSP with at least one reservoir on a river or stream, so it changes natural water flow. More in glossary → Ghats projects.

   Bhivpuri PSP · Bhivpuri EC

4. 16 April 2025 · Clearance Documented #

   FAC recommends Stage-I forest clearance for Bhivpuri

   Details and documents

   After its sub-committee's visit, the FAC recommended in-principle approval to divert 20.15 haⓘ×Documented“for diversion of 20.15 ha forest land for the development of Bhivpuri off-stream”FAC minutes, 16 Apr 2025 (MoM FC/MOM/AC/774464/2025), page125 · 16 April 2025 of forest for Tata Power's 1,000 MWⓘ×Documented“13. Project Name Bhivpuri Off-Stream Open Loop Pumped Storage Project (1000 MW)”FAC minutes, 16 Apr 2025 (MoM FC/MOM/AC/774464/2025), page9 · 16 April 2025 Bhivpuri PSP.

   Bhivpuri PSP · FAC minutes, 16 Apr 2025 (MoM FC/MOM/AC/774464/2025)

5. 5 March 2025 · Clearance Documented #

   Forest committee sends Bhivpuri to a site visit

   Details and documents

   The FAC noted that Bhivpuri's 20.15 haⓘ×Documented“for diversion of 20.15 ha forest land for the development of Bhivpuri off-stream”FAC minutes, 5 Mar 2025 (MoM FC/MOM/AC/354946/2025), page59 · 5 March 2025 of forest (6,834 treesⓘ×Documented“iii. Density of vegetation has been given as 0.6 Eco Class-III with 6834”FAC minutes, 5 Mar 2025 (MoM FC/MOM/AC/354946/2025), page59 · 5 March 2025, canopy 0.6ⓘ×Documented“iii. Density of vegetation has been given as 0.6 Eco Class-III with 6834”FAC minutes, 5 Mar 2025 (MoM FC/MOM/AC/354946/2025), page59 · 5 March 2025) lies inside the draft Western Ghats ESA, in a high-conservation zone, 10.53 kmⓘ×Documented“Sanctuary is located at a distance of 10.53 Km from the project. Also”FAC minutes, 5 Mar 2025 (MoM FC/MOM/AC/354946/2025), page61 · 5 March 2025 from Bhimashankar sanctuary, and referred it to a sub-committee.

   Bhivpuri PSP · FAC minutes, 5 Mar 2025 (MoM FC/MOM/AC/354946/2025)

6. 23 September 2024 · Clearance Official claim #

   CEA × CEA concurrence Technical-economic approval of a hydro DPR by the Central Electricity Authority, needed above a cost threshold. More in glossary → concurs DPRs for Bhivpuri and Bhavali

   Details and documents

   First CEA concurrences for new Maharashtra PSPs: Tata's 1,000 MWⓘ×Official claim“…Ps) with a cumulative capacity of 2.5 GW in Maharashtra. While the 1500 MW Bhavali PSP is being developed by JSW Energy Ltd., the 1000 MW Bhivpuri PSP is being developed by Tata Power Co. Ltd. These PSPs are concurred with the support of the Central Water Commissi…”Energetica: CEA concurs 2,500 MW of PSPs in Maharashtra · 23 September 2024 Bhivpuri and JSW's 1,500 MWⓘ×Official claim“…or milestone by concurring two more Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) with a cumulative capacity of 2.5 GW in Maharashtra. While the 1500 MW Bhavali PSP is being developed by JSW Energy Ltd., the 1000 MW Bhivpuri PSP is being developed by Tata Power Co. Ltd. These PS…”Energetica: CEA concurs 2,500 MW of PSPs in Maharashtra · 23 September 2024 Bhavali, concurred within 10ⓘ×Official claim“…ission (CWC), Geological Survey of India (GSI), and Central Soil and Materials Research Station (CSMRS) and were concurred within 10 days of completion of the DPRs i.e. the date on which the complete DPRs were submitted on the online portal by the developers. Th…”Energetica: CEA concurs 2,500 MW of PSPs in Maharashtra · 23 September 2024 days of complete DPRs. Commissioning promised by 2028.

   Bhivpuri PSP · Bhavali PSP · Energetica: CEA concurs 2,500 MW of PSPs in Maharashtra

7. August 2024 · Clearance Reported #

   EAC recommends EC for Tata's Bhivpuri PSP

   Details and documents

   The EAC recommended EC for the 1,000 MWⓘ×Reported“…jasthan on 13 August 2024, the Gandhi Sagar PSP 1440 Mw in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh on 13 August 2024, the Bhivpuri Off Stream PSP 1000 Mw in Raigad-Mah on 31 August 2024 and Tarali Off Stream PSP 1500 Mw in Satara, Maharashtra on 31 Dec. 2024. EC was also granted…”SANDRP: EAC & FAC decisions in 2024 · 17 January 2025 Bhivpuri project at its 30–31 Aug 2024 meeting, a month before it adopted the Western Ghats site-visit rule. An EAC team had visited the site in Feb 2024.

   Bhivpuri PSP · SANDRP: EAC & FAC decisions in 2024

8. 23 February 2024 · Clearance Reported #

   EAC team visits Bhivpuri and Shirawta sites

   Details and documents

   The EAC visited the Tata Power Bhivpuri and Shirawta sites on 23 Feb 2024 while appraising their ToRs, seven months before its Western Ghats site-visit rule. No later visit is listed for either project before their ECs.

   Bhivpuri PSP · Shirawta PSP · SANDRP: EAC & FAC decisions in 2024 (20 Mar 2024 rows)

9. 9 August 2023 · MoU signed, no clearance yet Reported #

   Tata Power signs MoU × Memorandum of understanding (MoU) A non-binding agreement between the state and a developer to study and build a project at a site, with a water allocation. More in glossary → for Shirawta (1,800 MW) and Bhivpuri (1,000 MW)

   Details and documents

   ₹13,000 crore for two PSPs in Pune and Raigad.ⓘ×Reported“…MW) in the state. These projects, with an estimated investment of approximately Rs. 13000 Cr, will be situated at Shirawta, Pune (1800 MW) and Bhivpuri, Raigad (1000 MW) districts. The collaboration is poised to drive the state towards its ambitious goal of becomi…”Tata Power releaseⓘ×Reported“…ry’s clean energy landscape</p>\r\n<p>2. 1800 MW Pumped Hydro Storage Project to be located at Shirawata, Pune district and 1000 MW PSP at Bhivpuri, Raigad district</p>\r\n<p>3. Projects will support to Maharashtra Government s goal of achieving a $1 T…”Tata Power release

   Shirawta PSP · Bhivpuri PSP · Tata Power release