Govt Takes Steps to Speed Up Commissioning of Pumped Storage Projects

The Government of India has implemented various measures to speed up the commissioning of pumped storage projects (PSPs) in the country. The Central Electricity Authority has given approval for the Upper Sileru PSP of 1,350 MW in Andhra Pradesh, developed by APGENCO, in a record time of 70 days, beating the stipulated timeline of 90 days. The Ministry of Power states that the government has taken these steps to promote the growth of renewable energy capacity in the country. The CEA has established a cell for fast track clearance of these projects, and recently revamped the process for concurrence of detailed project reports of these projects. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has also agreed to appraise Off Stream Closed Loop PSPs with specific Terms of Reference. The Geological Survey of India has nominated nodal officers for faster clearance of geological aspects of DPRs, while CEA has requested GSI to involve their subordinates and field offices in states to further fast track clearance. Under the revised guidelines, the timeline for concurrence of DPR of following PSPs has been reduced from 90 days to 50 days…Timeline for concurrence of DPR of other PSPs has been reduced from 125 days to 90 days, the ministry said.