The AP-Genco and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC) will soon be floating a Joint Venture (JV) for implementing Pumped Storage Hydropower Projects (PSPHs) with a total generation capacity of 6,000 MW in the State.
A 1,350 Megawatt (9x150 MW) PSHP at upper Sileru in GK Veedhi mandal of ASR district will be the first one to take off under the aegis of the joint venture. The Central Electricity Authority has given this project the mandatory techno-economic clearance in just about two-and-a-half months. The combined installed hydropower capacity of the Sileru basin will go up to 2,425 MW upon the completion of the 1,350 MW PSPH at upper Sileru.
Overall, AP-Genco has targeted a generation of 33 Gigawatts (GW) (29 projects) of pumped storage hydropower in the coming years, according to Special Chief Secretary (Energy) K. Vijayanand.
In an exclusive interview to The Hindu on Monday, Mr. Vijayanand said of the 33 GW, PSPHs with a total capacity of 11 GW were being given to private companies and most of the remaining ones would be done by AP-Genco and some by NTPC.
As far as the above JV was concerned, the draft agreement was ready to be signed soon and the partners would have an equal (50:50) stake, like the AP Solar Power Corporation and Solar Energy Corporation of India were jointly executing solar power projects.
Solar projects
Mr. Vijayanand said a 750-MW solar power capacity addition at the solar park near Mylavaram in Jammalamadugu of Kadapa district was given green signal and the AP-Genco was executing a 200-MW solar project at Talaricheruvu village near Tadipatri in Anantapur district.
Dues from Telangana Genco to AP-DISCOMs amounted to nearly ₹7,000 crore as on date and the matter was sub-judice as it was being contested in courts., he said.
“TS-Genco made payments promptly for six months after bifurcation but it had thereafter slowed down clearing its dues by citing various reasons”, he observed, adding that the smart metering project was rolled out across the State at a total cost of ₹6,800 crore including ₹5,000 crore to be spent by the State and the balance coming in as a Central government grant.
