The Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) is planning to establish the State’s first pumped storage (hydel) power project with 500 megawatt capacity as part of its plans of diversification and business expansion towards making the organisation sustainable in the wake of increasing competition in the field of coal mining.
In addition to its main activity of coal mining, the company has already entered into thermal and solar power generation areas. The decision to go for a pumped storage power project was taken following the directions from the State government, which holds a majority stake of 51% in the company.
After preliminary study on the scope of the pumped storage project, the company has decided to entrust the task of detail project report (DPR) preparation to the Central Government agency WAPCOS. The letter of award for DPR preparation was given to the company at a meeting held here on Saturday.
According to Chairman and Managing Director of the SCCL N. Balaram, the pumped storage power project is being planned at the water storage area (sump) created following the closure of Medipally opencast mine in the Ramagundam-I area. He stated that neither the State power utility Genco nor any private company has planned/materialised a pumped storage power project in Telangana so far, though several such projects were taken up in the neighbouring States.
