Record-Breaking Hydro Pumped Storage Projects Approved in India

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has quickly approved detailed project reports for two hydro pumped storage plants in Odisha and Karnataka. The government is prioritizing energy storage to ensure national energy security. Revised guidelines simplify the approval process, aiming to expedite PSP development and execution times significantly.

In a significant move, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has granted swift approval to detailed project reports for two major hydro pumped storage plants: the 600 MW Upper Indravati in Odisha and the 2,000 MW Sharavathy in Karnataka.

To align with the government's ease of doing business drive, the CEA has revised its guidelines, simplifying the process for preparing and obtaining concurrence for detailed project reports (DPRs) of these pumped storage projects (PSPs). The 600 MW Upper Indravati is being developed by OHPC Ltd, while the 2,000 MW Sharavathy is spearheaded by KPCL.

The CEA has reported around 60 GW worth of PSP proposals in various stages of DPR preparation. Following preparation, these DPRs will be uploaded on the CEA website for approval under section 8 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The revised guidelines are designed to cut down the approval timeline and are expected to save significant time in the concurrence and execution processes.