GE Vernova has secured a major hydropower contract from Megha Engineering & Infrastructures to supply nine 150 MW pumped-storage units for the 1.35 GW Upper Sileru hydropower project in Andhra Pradesh, with completion targeted by 2030.
The 1.35 GW Upper Sileru project will rank among the largest pumped-storage hydropower facilities in India. Once operational, it is expected to store and supply electricity equivalent to the annual needs of about three million Indian homes, supporting grid stability amid rising renewable energy integration.
GE Vernova’s scope includes design, engineering, manufacturing, testing, supply, transportation, and supervision of erection and commissioning of the nine vertical Francis reversible units, along with control and governing systems. Each of the nine units has a capacity of 150 MW, delivering high efficiency, operational flexibility, and long service life over several decades.
The project highlights the growing importance of pumped-storage systems in India’s energy transition, enabling long-duration energy storage, peak demand management, and frequency regulation at scale. The plant’s ability to rapidly switch between pumping and generating modes will help balance intermittent solar and wind generation on the national grid.
This marks the second collaboration between GE Vernova and MEIL. The company is currently executing another project involving four 125 MW fixed-speed pumped-storage units for the Kundah hydropower plant in India.
Globally, GE Vernova holds nearly 30 percent of the installed pumped-storage base and is developing more than 3 GW of such projects worldwide. The company has also commissioned two of four 250 MW variable-speed units at THDC India Limited’s Tehri pumped-storage hydropower plant, part of the Tehri Hydropower Complex.
In India, GE Vernova operates five technology and engineering centers and 10 manufacturing sites, supporting a workforce of over 10,000 employees, including more than 3,000 engineers and technologists. The Upper Sileru project is expected to leverage this local footprint, contributing to employment generation, skills development, and expansion of domestic industrial capabilities.