Lok Sabha Question No. 3255 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-20
Subject: Power Capacity Expansion
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Dr. Shashi Tharoor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3255 ANSWERED ON 20.03.2025

## POWER CAPACITY EXPANSION

## 3255.  DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a) whether  there  has  been  any  progress  on  the  planned  thermal  power  capacity  of 80,000 MW by 2031-32, including the current status of the 28,020 MW under construction and 19,200 MW awarded in the year 2024-25;

- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the details of the key challenges faced in hydropower expansion;
- (d) the details of the key challenges faced in nuclear power expansion with only 7,300 MW under construction against a 100 GW target by 2047;
- (e) whether  any  measures  have  been  taken  to  tackle  the  issues  of  challenging hydropower and nuclear power expansion;
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(g) the  primary  hurdles  in  integrating  renewable  energy  into  the  grid-including  grid integration, storage and regulation; and

(h) whether  any  measures  are  proposed  to  overcome  the  same  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) & (b) : Government of India (GoI) has proposed in November, 2023 for setting up of an additional minimum 80,000 MW coal-based thermal capacity by 2031-32. Against this target, a total coal-based capacity of 9,350 MW has already been commissioned in 2023-24 & 202425 and currently, 29,900 MW of thermal capacity is under construction (Annexure-I).  In FY 2024-25, contracts for 22,640 MW thermal capacity have been awarded (Annexure-II), out of which, 5,600 MW thermal capacity is now under construction.

(c) : The key challenges faced in Hydropower expansion are Land acquisition, Environment and Forest clearances, Rehabilitation & Resettlement, Inadequate Infrastructural facilities & accessibility, Law & Order/Local issues, Geological Surprises, Natural Calamities, Inter-state issues, Unfavorable State policies etc.

(d) : The  key  challenges  faced  in  development  of  new  nuclear  power  projects  are  the availability of suitable site & its acquisition, Rehabilitation & Resettlement, Environment and Forest clearances, Law & Order / Local issues, timely supplies of equipment, availability of skilled  workforce  and  addressing  public  apprehensions  etc.  Further,  there  are  high  upfront cost of reactors, regulatory requirements, and the dependency on imported nuclear fuel.

In  addition  to  under  construction  7300  MW  nuclear  power  capacity,  an  additional capacity of 7000 MW is also under implementation, at pre-project activities stage.

## (e) & (f) : Central Government has taken following measures

- (I) To promote the development of hydropower projects in the country:
-  Govt. of India on 08.03.2019 approved Large Hydro Power (LHPs) (> 25 MW projects) as Renewable  Energy  source,  Hydro  Purchase  Obligation  (HPO)  as  a  separate  entity within Non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO), Tariff rationalization measures for bringing down hydro power tariff, Budgetary Support for Flood Moderation/Storage Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs), Budgetary Support to Cost of Enabling Infrastructure, i.e. roads/bridges.
-  Govt. of India on 11.09.2024 has approved the modified scheme of budgetary support towards  enabling  infrastructure  of hydroelectric  projects  wherein  the  ambit  of enabling infrastructure has been widened.
-  The  timeline  for  concurrence  of  Detailed  Project  Report  (DPR)  of  Hydro  Electric Projects (HEPs) has been reduced to 125 days.
-  Waiver  of  Inter-state  Transmission  System  (ISTS)  Charges  on  the  transmission  of power from new Hydro Power Projects, for which construction work is awarded and Power  Purchase  Agreement  (PPA)  is  signed  on  or  before 30.06.2025.  Subsequently, part waiver of ISTS charges, in steps of 25% from 01.07.2025 to 01.07.2028, have been extended for Hydro Power Projects for which construction work is awarded and PPA is signed up to 30.06.2028.
-  Govt. of India on 08.10.24 has approved the Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to the State Governments of NER towards their equity participation for development of Hydro Electric  Projects  in  the  North  Eastern  Region  (NER)  through  Joint  Venture  (JV) Collaboration between State entities and Central Public Sector Undertakings.
-  Measures to reduce time and cost overrun has been notified by Government of India on 8.11.2019.
-  An IT portal, namely Jal Vidyut Amrit has been developed for monitoring the progress of under-construction hydroelectric projects.
-  To  proactively  prevent  contractual  disputes  in  hydro  projects,  a  Dispute  Avoidance Mechanism has been implemented using an 'Independent Engineer' (IE) system from the project's outset. The Ministry has curated a panel of domain experts renowned for their integrity and track record. CPSEs and contractors jointly select an expert from this panel for each works package, designated as the 'Independent Engineer' (IE) for the respective contract. Disputes referred to the IE are resolved through hearings and site inspections.
-  Government  of  India  has  established  three  Conciliation  Committees  of  Independent Experts (CCIE) to address contractual disputes in projects carried out by CPSUs and Statutory Bodies under the Ministry of Power.
- (II) To promote the development of Nuclear Power projects in the country:
-  Nuclear  Power  Projects  are  being  closely  monitored  with  state  governments  to expedite land acquisition and implementation of Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) packages for the Project Affected Persons (PAPs).
-  Taking up pre-project activities in advance and expediting them, close monitoring and follow-up with manufacturers to ensure their timely delivery.
-  Implementation of an exhaustive, structured, multi-pronged public awareness programme to allay the concerns of the public regarding nuclear power plants..

(g) & (h) : A robust national grid has been established to facilitate the transfer of power from power surplus regions to power deficit regions. The inter-regional transmission capacity has been increased from 75,050 MW during 2016-17 to 1,18,740 MW as on 31.12.2024. The capacity of National Grid is being expanded on a continuous basis commensurate with the growth in electricity generation and electricity demand.

The primary challenges in integrating renewable energy into the grid are intermittency in RE generation, non-availability of adequate flexible resources, etc.

The Government  has  taken various measures  to facilitate the integration of Renewable Energy (RE) resources into the National Grid to ensure reliability and stability as under:

- (i) Construction of Intra-State and Inter-State transmission systems for evacuation of Renewable power.
- (ii) Transmission plan for  integration  of  more  than  500  GW  RE  capacity  by  2030 has been prepared.
- (iii) Setting  up  of  Regional  Energy  Management  Centers  (REMCs)  for  better forecasting  of  renewable  power  and  to  assist  grid  operators  to  manage variability and intermittency of renewable power.
- (iv) Innovative  products  like  Solar-Wind  Hybrid  Projects,  RE  projects  with  energy storage  systems  and  supply  of  RE  power  balanced  with  power  from  non-RE sources launched to reduce intermittency.
- (v) Implementation  of  Green  Term  Ahead  Market  (GTAM)  and  Green  Day  Ahead Market (GDAM) for sale of renewable energy.
- (vi) Flexibility  in  generation  and  Scheduling  of  Thermal/Hydro  Power  Stations through bundling with Renewable Energy and Storage Power.  Flexibilization of thermal generation is mandated to address the variability of RE generation.
- (vii) Central Financial Assistance (CFA) is being provided to the States for setting up Transmission infrastructure for RE integration within their State under the Green Energy Corridor Scheme.
- (viii) CEA (Technical Standards for Connectivity to the Grid) Regulations lay down the minimum technical requirements for the RE generating plants to ensure the safe,  secure  and  reliable  operation  of  the  grid.  The  compliances  to  the  said regulations  by  RE  plants  are  verified  jointly  by  Central  Transmission  Utility (CTUIL)  and  Grid-India/  Regional  Load  Despatch  Centres  (RLDCs)  before granting connectivity/interconnection to the national grid. Robust compliances verification is done before interconnection of any new plant to the grid.
- (ix) Indian Electricity Grid Code mandates that RE plants participate in the primary and  secondary  frequency  control  in  case  of  contingencies.  Hybrid  RE  power plants, Energy Storage Systems such as BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) and PSP (Pump Storage Project) are being promoted for mitigating variability in RE generation and provide adequate frequency support to the grid.

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## ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3255 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 20.03.2025

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| Details of Under Construction Thermal Capacity (Financial Year Wise)   | Details of Under Construction Thermal Capacity (Financial Year Wise)   | Details of Under Construction Thermal Capacity (Financial Year Wise)   | Details of Under Construction Thermal Capacity (Financial Year Wise)   | Details of Under Construction Thermal Capacity (Financial Year Wise)   | Details of Under Construction Thermal Capacity (Financial Year Wise)   | Details of Under Construction Thermal Capacity (Financial Year Wise)   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (As on 01-03-2025)                                                     | (As on 01-03-2025)                                                     | (As on 01-03-2025)                                                     | (As on 01-03-2025)                                                     | (As on 01-03-2025)                                                     | (As on 01-03-2025)                                                     | (As on 01-03-2025)                                                     |
| Sl. No                                                                 | Project Name/ Impl. Agency                                             | Sector                                                                 | State                                                                  | Unit No.                                                               | Capacity (MW)                                                          | Anticipated Trial Run Date                                             |
| F Y. 2024-25                                                           | F Y. 2024-25                                                           | F Y. 2024-25                                                           | F Y. 2024-25                                                           | F Y. 2024-25                                                           | F Y. 2024-25                                                           | F Y. 2024-25                                                           |
| 1                                                                      | North Chennai TPP, St-III (TANGEDCO)                                   | STATE                                                                  | Tamil Nadu                                                             | U-1                                                                    | 800                                                                    | Mar-25                                                                 |
| 2                                                                      | Yadadri TPS (TSGENCO)                                                  | STATE                                                                  | Telangana                                                              | U-1                                                                    | 800                                                                    | Mar-25                                                                 |
| 3                                                                      | Obra-C STPP (UPRVUNL)                                                  | STATE                                                                  | Uttar Pradesh                                                          | U-2                                                                    | 660                                                                    | Mar-25                                                                 |
| 4                                                                      | Patratu STPP (PVUNL)                                                   | CENTRAL                                                                | Jharkhand                                                              | U-1                                                                    | 800                                                                    | Mar-25                                                                 |
| 5                                                                      | North Karanpura STPP(NTPC)                                             | CENTRAL                                                                | Jharkhand                                                              | U-3                                                                    | 660                                                                    | Mar-25                                                                 |
| 6                                                                      | Barh STPP St-I (NTPC)                                                  | CENTRAL                                                                | Bihar                                                                  | U-3                                                                    | 660                                                                    | Mar-25                                                                 |
| Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | 4,380                                                                  | 4,380                                                                  |
| F Y. 2025-26                                                           | F Y. 2025-26                                                           | F Y. 2025-26                                                           | F Y. 2025-26                                                           | F Y. 2025-26                                                           | F Y. 2025-26                                                           | F Y. 2025-26                                                           |
| 7                                                                      | Udangudi STPP St-I (TANGEDCO)                                          | STATE                                                                  | Tamil Nadu                                                             | U-1                                                                    | 660                                                                    | May-25                                                                 |
| 8                                                                      | Sagardighi TPP St-III (WBPDCL)                                         | STATE                                                                  | West Bengal                                                            | U-1                                                                    | 660                                                                    | May-25                                                                 |
| 9                                                                      | Ghatampur TPP (NUPPL)                                                  | CENTRAL                                                                | Uttar Pradesh                                                          | U-2                                                                    | 660                                                                    | May-25                                                                 |
| 10                                                                     | Buxar TPP (SJVN)                                                       | CENTRAL                                                                | Bihar                                                                  | U-1                                                                    | 660                                                                    | May-25                                                                 |
| 11                                                                     | Yadadri TPS (TSGENCO)                                                  | STATE                                                                  | Telangana                                                              | U-4                                                                    | 800                                                                    | Jun-25                                                                 |
| 12                                                                     | Khurja SCTPP (THDC)                                                    | CENTRAL                                                                | Uttar Pradesh                                                          | U-2                                                                    | 660                                                                    | Jun-25                                                                 |
| 13                                                                     | Yadadri TPS (TSGENCO)                                                  | STATE                                                                  | Telangana                                                              | U-3                                                                    | 800                                                                    | Jul-25                                                                 |
| 14                                                                     | Udangudi STPP St-I (TANGEDCO)                                          | STATE                                                                  | Tamil Nadu                                                             | U-2                                                                    | 660                                                                    | Aug-25                                                                 |
| 15                                                                     | Yadadri TPS (TSGENCO)                                                  | STATE                                                                  | Telangana                                                              | U-5                                                                    | 800                                                                    | Sep-25                                                                 |
| 16                                                                     | Buxar TPP (SJVN)                                                       | CENTRAL                                                                | Bihar                                                                  | U-2                                                                    | 660                                                                    | Sep-25                                                                 |
| 17                                                                     | Ghatampur TPP (NUPPL)                                                  | CENTRAL                                                                | Uttar Pradesh                                                          | U-3                                                                    | 660                                                                    | Oct-25                                                                 |
| 18                                                                     | Patratu STPP (PVUNL)                                                   | CENTRAL                                                                | Jharkhand                                                              | U-2                                                                    | 800                                                                    | Dec-25                                                                 |
| 19                                                                     | Patratu STPP (PVUNL)                                                   | CENTRAL                                                                | Jharkhand                                                              | U-3                                                                    | 800                                                                    | Mar-26                                                                 |
| Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | 9,280                                                                  | 9,280                                                                  |
| F Y. 2026-27                                                           | F Y. 2026-27                                                           | F Y. 2026-27                                                           | F Y. 2026-27                                                           | F Y. 2026-27                                                           | F Y. 2026-27                                                           | F Y. 2026-27                                                           |
| 20                                                                     | Ennore SCTPP (TANGEDCO)                                                | STATE                                                                  | Tamil Nadu                                                             | U-1                                                                    | 660                                                                    | Sept-26                                                                |
| 21                                                                     | Ennore SCTPP (TANGEDCO)                                                | STATE                                                                  | Tamil Nadu                                                             | U-2                                                                    | 660                                                                    | Nov-26                                                                 |
| 22                                                                     | Mahan STPP,St-II (Mahan Energen )                                      | PRIVATE                                                                | M. P.                                                                  | U-3                                                                    | 800                                                                    | Dec-26                                                                 |
| Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | Sub-Total                                                              | 2,120                                                                  | 2,120                                                                  |

| F Y. 2027-28   | F Y. 2027-28                       | F Y. 2027-28   | F Y. 2027-28   | F Y. 2027-28   | F Y. 2027-28   | F Y. 2027-28   |
|----------------|------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
| 23             | Mahan STPP,St-II (Mahan Energen )  | PRIVATE        | M. P.          | U-4            | 800            | May-27         |
| 24             | Raigarh USCTPP, St-II/ Adani Power | PRIVATE        | Chhattisgarh   | U-3            | 800            | Jun-27         |
| 25             | Talcher TPP St-III (NTPC)          | CENTRAL        | Odisha         | U-1            | 660            | Sep-27         |
| 26             | Raigarh USCTPP, St-II/ Adani Power | PRIVATE        | Chhattisgarh   | U-4            | 800            | Oct-27         |
| 27             | Talcher TPP St-III (NTPC)          | CENTRAL        | Odisha         | U-2            | 660            | Dec-27         |
| 28             | Lara STPP St-II (NTPC)             | CENTRAL        | Chhattisgarh   | U-1            | 800            | Dec-27         |
| 29             | Raipur Ext TPP, Ph-II /Adani Power | PRIVATE        | Chhattisgarh   | U-1            | 800            | Jan-28         |
| Sub-Total      | Sub-Total                          | Sub-Total      | Sub-Total      | Sub-Total      | 5,320          |                |
| F Y. 2028-29   | F Y. 2028-29                       | F Y. 2028-29   | F Y. 2028-29   | F Y. 2028-29   | F Y. 2028-29   | F Y. 2028-29   |
| 30             | Lara STPP St-II (NTPC)             | CENTRAL        | Chhattisgarh   | U-2            | 800            | Jun-28         |
| 31             | Raipur Ext TPP, Ph-II /Adani Power | PRIVATE        | Chhattisgarh   | U-2            | 800            | Jul-28         |
| 32             | Koderma TPS, St-II/ DVC            | CENTRAL        | Jharkhand      | U-1            | 800            | Aug-28         |
| 33             | Koderma TPS, St-II/ DVC            | CENTRAL        | Jharkhand      | U-2            | 800            | Dec-28         |
| 34             | NLC TALABIRA TPP (NLC)             | CENTRAL        | Odisha         | U-1            | 800            | Mar-29         |
| Sub-Total      | Sub-Total                          | Sub-Total      | Sub-Total      | Sub-Total      | 4,000          |                |
| F Y. 2029-30   | F Y. 2029-30                       | F Y. 2029-30   | F Y. 2029-30   | F Y. 2029-30   | F Y. 2029-30   | F Y. 2029-30   |
| 35             | Singrauli STPP, St-III (NTPC)      | CENTRAL        | UP             | U-1            | 800            | May-29         |
| 36             | NLC TALABIRA TPP (NLC)             | CENTRAL        | Odisha         | U-2            | 800            | Sep-29         |
| 37             | DCR TPP Ext., Yamunanagar          | State          | Haryana        | U-1            | 800            | Sep-29         |
| 38             | Sipat STPP, St-III (NTPC)          | CENTRAL        | Chhattisgarh   | U-1            | 800            | Sep-29         |
| 39             | Singrauli STPP, St-III (NTPC)      | CENTRAL        | UP             | U-2            | 800            | Nov-29         |
| 40             | NLC TALABIRA TPP (NLC)             | CENTRAL        | Odisha         | U-3            | 800            | Mar-30         |
| Sub-Total      | Sub-Total                          | Sub-Total      | Sub-Total      | Sub-Total      | 4,800          |                |
| Grand Total    | Grand Total                        | Grand Total    | Grand Total    | Grand Total    | 29,900         |                |

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ANNEXURE-II ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION

NO. 3255 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 20.03.2025 *************

| Details of Awarded Thermal Capacity during the year 2024-25   | Details of Awarded Thermal Capacity during the year 2024-25   | Details of Awarded Thermal Capacity during the year 2024-25   | Details of Awarded Thermal Capacity during the year 2024-25   | Details of Awarded Thermal Capacity during the year 2024-25   | Details of Awarded Thermal Capacity during the year 2024-25   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No                                                        | Project Name/ Impl. Agency                                    | Sector                                                        | State                                                         | Capacity (MW)                                                 | Remarks                                                       |
| 1                                                             | Sipat STPP, St-III (NTPC)                                     | Center                                                        | Chhattisgarh                                                  | 800                                                           | Under Construction                                            |
| 2                                                             | Darlipalli-II (NTPC)                                          | Center                                                        | Odisha                                                        | 800                                                           | -                                                             |
| 3                                                             | Raigarh USCTPP, St-II/ Adani Power                            | Private                                                       | Chhattisgarh                                                  | 1,600                                                         | Under Construction                                            |
| 4                                                             | Mahan STPP,St-III (Mahan Energen )                            | Private                                                       | Madhya Pradesh                                                | 1,600                                                         | -                                                             |
| 5                                                             | KodermaTPS , St-II (DVC)                                      | Center                                                        | Jharkhand                                                     | 1,600                                                         | Under Construction                                            |
| 6                                                             | Raipur Ext TPP, St-II /Adani Power                            | Private                                                       | Chhattisgarh                                                  | 1,600                                                         | Under Construction                                            |
| 7                                                             | Mirjapur TPS / Adani Power                                    | Private                                                       | Uttar Pradesh                                                 | 1,600                                                         | -                                                             |
| 8                                                             | Kawai STTP St-II / Adani Power                                | Private                                                       | Rajasthan                                                     | 3,200                                                         | -                                                             |
| 9                                                             | Telangana Stage II (NTPC)                                     | Center                                                        | Telangana                                                     | 2,400                                                         | -                                                             |
| 10                                                            | New Nabi Nagar- II (NTPC)                                     | Center                                                        | Bihar                                                         | 2,400                                                         | -                                                             |
| 11                                                            | Gadarwara Stage II (NTPC)                                     | Center                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                | 1,600                                                         | -                                                             |
| 12                                                            | Koradi TPP St-V (MSPGCL)                                      | State                                                         | Maharashtra                                                   | 1,320                                                         | -                                                             |
| 13                                                            | Raghunathpur TPS, PH-II (DVC)                                 | Center                                                        | West Bengal                                                   | 1,320                                                         | -                                                             |
| 14                                                            | Singareni St-II (SCCL)                                        | State                                                         | Telangana                                                     | 800                                                           | -                                                             |
| Total                                                         | Total                                                         | Total                                                         | Total                                                         | 22,640                                                        |                                                               |

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