Indian government sets aside Rs 12,461 crore for hydropower projects | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday approved Rs 12,461 crore to support construction of hydropower projects with a total capacity of 31,350 MW over the next eight years.
The plan will be implemented from 2024-25, with budgetary support for the cost of enabling infrastructure rationalised to Rs 1 crore per MW for projects up to 200 MW. Projects above this capacity will get an additional support of Rs 75,000 per MW, a government statement said.
In exceptional cases, the support can go up to Rs 1.5 crore per MW.
The scheme applies to all hydropower projects with a capacity of more than 25 MW, including private sector projects awarded through a transparent process.
The benefit will also be available to pumped storage energy (PSP) projects, including captive and merchant plantsPSPs. A cumulative PSP capacity of around 15,000 MW would be supported under the scheme.
Projects that submit an award letter for the first major package before June 30, 2028, are eligible for the scheme.
The statement said the measure would expand the scope of budget support for infrastructure costs by adding four additional items, in addition to road and bridge construction.
These four items include the costs of constructing a transmission line from the power plant to the nearest bundling point, including the modernisation of the bundling station of the state/central transmission company, cable cars, rail connections and communication infrastructure.
The reinforcement of existing roads and bridges leading to the project is also eligible for central assistance under this scheme.