Parliament Question: Development of Pumped Storage Projects in Assam

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2069 ANSWERED ON 30.07.2026 DEVELOPMENT OF PUMPED STORAGE PROJECTS IN ASSAM

2069. SHRI AMARSING TISSO:

Will the Minister of POWER

be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is promoting Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) to facilitate renewable energy integration and meet peak electricity demand across the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the number of Pumped Storage Projects under construction and at various stages of approval in the country, State-wise;

(c) whether any Pumped Storage Project has been identified, proposed or is under examination in Assam, particularly in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether the Government provides any Central financial assistance or other incentives for the development of Pumped Storage Projects and if so, the details thereof? A N S W E R THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)

(a) & (d): The Government has undertaken the following measures to promote the development of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) in the country for facilitating renewable energy integration, enhancing grid flexibility, and

meeting peak electricity demand:

(i) Ministry of Power has notified Guidelines to promote development of Pumped Storage Projects in the country on 10.04.2023.

(ii) Budgetary Support towards Cost of Enabling Infrastructure, i.e., roads/bridges, railway sidings, ropeways, communication infrastructure and transmission line from power house to nearest pooling point.

(iii) To provide a transparent, fair, standardized procurement framework based on open competitive bidding with appropriate risk-sharing between various stakeholders, MoP vide Gazette notification dated 06.02.2025, has notified tariff based competitive bidding (TBCB) guidelines for procurement of storage capacity/stored energy from pumped storage plants.(iv) The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), vide its Notification dated 26.06.2025, has provided for 100% waiver of Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges for Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) for a period of 25 years from the Commercial Operation Date (COD), in respect of projects for which the construction work is awarded on or before 30.06.2028.

(v) The Government of India, vide Gazette notification dated 01.08.2025, has revised the capital expenditure limit for schemes related to setting up hydro generating stations to ₹3,000 crore, requiring the concurrence of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). Further, the Government has exempted off- stream closed-loop pumped storage schemes, irrespective of the quantum of capital expenditure, from the requirement of concurrence by the CEA.

(vi) Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has revised Guidelines for formulation and concurrence of Detailed Project Report (DPR) of PSPs. Under the revised guidelines, the timeline for concurrence of DPR has been reduced from 90 days to 50 days for PSPs. Further, the clearance of Inter-State Aspects is not required for PSPs.

(vii) Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), vide its

notification dated 18.05.2023, has enabled appraisal of PSPs under B2 category subject to certain conditions.

(viii) The MoEF&CC on 14.08.2023, has issued specific Terms of Reference (TOR) for the proposals involving off stream PSPs wherein collection of baseline data for one season (other than monsoon) is prescribed for off stream closed loop PSPs and collection of baseline data for two seasons (pre-monsoon & post-monsoon) is prescribed for off stream open loop PSPs.

(ix) The MOEF&CC on 20.08.2024, has extended the provisions relating to survey in the forest areas for mining projects to other development projects including hydel/PSPs.

(x) MOEF&CC vide letter dated 10.09.2025 has enhanced the number of boreholes for undertaking survey and explorations in the forest area for mining and developmental projects including hydel / PSPs.

(b): At present, 11 Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) with a total installed capacity of 15,870 MW are under construction in the country (Annexure-I).

Further, 6 PSPs with an aggregate installed capacity of 8,140 MW have been concurred/appraised by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and are yet to be taken up for construction (Annexure-II). In addition, 1 PSP with an installed capacity of 640 MW is presently under examination in the CEA (Annexure-III).

(c): As per the records of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), 6 Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) with an aggregate installed capacity of 6,220 MW have been identified in the State of Assam. Of these, 4 PSPs are at the Survey & Investigation (S&I) stage. The details are provided at Annexure-IV.

**********ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.

2060 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 30.07.2026 ************* LIST OF UNDER CONTRUCTION PUMPED STORAGE PROJECTS Sl. Name of the Project State / UT Capacity Target for No. (Executing Agency) (MW) Commissioning 1 Upper Sileru PSP (APGENCO) Andhra Pradesh 1350 Feb'29 2 Sharavathy PSP (KPCL) Karnataka 2000 May'32 3 Kundah PSP (Phase-I,II&III) Tamil Nadu 500 Feb'27

(TANGEDCO) 4 MP30 Gandhi Sagar PSP (Greenko Madhya Pradesh 1920 Dec'26 MP01 IREP Private Limited) 5 Chitravathi PSP (Adani Renewable Andhra Pradesh 500 Feb'27 Energy Forty-Two Limited) 6 Bhivpuri PSP (Tata Power Maharashtra 1000 Feb'29 Company Limited) 7 Saundatti PSP (Greenko KA01 Karnataka 1600 Dec'27 IREP Private Limited) 8 Bhavali PSP (JSW Energy PSP Two Maharashtra 1500 Dec'28 Limited) 9 Gandikota PSP (Adani Renewable Andhra Pradesh 1000 Mar'29 Energy Fifty-One Limited) 10 Tarali PSP (Adani Renewable Maharashtra 1500 Jun'29 Energy One Limited) 11 Saidongar-1 Karjat PSP Maharashtra 3000 Dec'29 (Torrent Energy Storage Solutions) TOTAL 15,870 ***************ANNEXURE-II ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.

2060 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 30.07.2026 ************* List of PSPs concurred/ appraised by CEA and are yet to be taken up for construction Name of the project State/UT Capacity Date of S. No. (Executing Agency) (MW) Concurrence/ Appraisal Chichlik PSP* Uttar Pradesh 1560 08.07.2026 1 (Avaada Water Battery Pvt. Ltd.) 2 Pane PSP Maharashtra 1500 09.10.2025 (JSW Neo Energy Ltd) 3 Shirawta PSP (Tata 1800 01.09.2025 Power Company Ltd) Maharashtra 4 Kandhaura PSP Uttar Pradesh 1680 13.06.2025 (JSW Energy PSP Six Ltd) 5 Upper Indravati PSP (Odisha Odisha 600 19.08.2024 Hydro Power Corporation Ltd.) 6 Turga PSP West Bengal 1000 05.10.2016 (West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.) TOTAL 8,140 * Appraised *****************ANNEXURE-III ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.

2060 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 30.07.2026 ************* List of PSPs Schemes under Examination in CEA Name of the project State/UT Capacity S. No. (Executing Agency) (MW) Indirasagar Omkareshwar Madhya Pradesh 640 1 (NHDC Limited) *************ANNEXURE-IV ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.

2060 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 30.07.2026 ************* PSPs under Survey & Investigation in Assam SL. Project District Developer Installed No. Capacity

(MW) 1 AS-01 West Karbi Anglong M/s Greenko 900 2 Howraghat Karbi Anglong & M/s Adani Green 1500 Marigaon 3 Moti Hojai Dima hasao M/s Adani Green 1200 4 Assam PSP -05 West Karbi Anglong M/s Hinduja 1300 Renewable TOTAL 4,900 PSPs Identified in Assam Sl. Project District Installed No. Capacity (MW) 1 Kopili Dima Hasao 320 2 Tharakunchi West Karbi 1000 Anglong TOTAL 1,320 ****************