CSERC approves Rs 16,247 crore capex for Chhattisgarh power utilities

Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) has approved Capital Investment Plans (CIPs) exceeding Rs 16,247 crore for three state power entities, Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Limited (CSPGCL), Chhattisgarh State Power Transmission Company Limited (CSPTCL), and Chhattisgarh State Load Dispatch Centre (CSLDC), for the control period FY 2026-27 to FY 2029-30. Orders issued between April 16 and 17, 2026 cover generation upgrades, transmission expansion, and grid modernisation.

Generation: Rs 714.17 crore for CSPGCL

CSERC approved CSPGCL’s CIP of Rs 714.17 crore under Petition No. 02 of 2026 for renovation, modernisation, environmental compliance, and infrastructure upgrades across thermal, hydro, and mining assets. The Gare Pelma III coal mine under ABVTPS received Rs 258.64 crore for completion of a railway line for coal evacuation. Korba West Thermal Power Station was allocated Rs 181.45 crore for coal conveyor renovation, generator rotor procurement, and HMI and ICT upgrades. ABV Thermal Power Station was approved Rs 103.67 crore for HMI upgrades, Variable Frequency Drive installations for CEPs, and works at the Auraikala ash dyke. Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Thermal Power Station received Rs 100.42 crore for railway line replacement and ash dyke works.

For Hasdeo Thermal Power Station, which will operate until 2030 as per Ministry of Power directions, CSERC approved Rs 51.62 crore along with a Special Allowance of Rs 10.75 lakh per MW per year for operation and maintenance without full renovation. Hasdeo Bango Hydro Station was allocated Rs 12.98 crore for turbine refurbishment and system upgrades. The Commission also granted in-principle approval for CSPGCL’s share of Rs 77.58 crore in a common Head Office complex at Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, out of a total hard cost of Rs 217.50 crore. Issues related to Flue Gas Desulphurisation systems at Marwa and Korba plants are being examined separately under Suo-motu Petition No. 47 of 2026.

Transmission: Rs 15,367.95 crore for CSPTCL

Under Petition No. 06 of 2026, CSERC approved CSPTCL’s CIP of Rs 15,367.95 crore to expand and strengthen the transmission network through new substations, transmission lines, and system upgrades. By FY 2029-30, the network is projected to include 8 substations at 400 kV, 45 at 220 kV, and 142 at 132 kV, compared to 4, 28, and 103 respectively in FY 2025. Transmission capacity is expected to increase from 11,280 MVA in FY 2026 to 18,240 MVA in FY 2030.

Key approvals include a 400/220 kV substation at Korba (East) costing Rs 350 crore and a 220/132 kV substation at Pratappur (Surajpur) costing Rs 220 crore. Several 132/33 kV substations at Nageda, Randhana, Sariya, Cherpalli, and Dharamjaigarh were cleared to address overloading and voltage constraints. The Commission deferred a proposed Rs 158.55 crore substation at Kirandul in Dantewada, citing lack of immediate requirement. It also approved a revised evacuation plan for the proposed 2×660 MW Korba West project using LILO arrangements at Rs 20.70 crore, replacing an earlier Rs 635.82 crore proposal.

CSPTCL’s share in the common Head Office complex was fixed at Rs 70.79 crore, or 32.55% of the total cost. The Commission noted a gap between projected annual capitalisation of Rs 1,854 crore to Rs 5,957 crore and the historical average of about Rs 367 crore, directing timely execution and quarterly progress reporting.

Grid management: Rs 165.02 crore for CSLDC

Under Petition No. 07 of 2026, CSERC approved Rs 165.02 crore for CSLDC to upgrade grid management systems, cyber security infrastructure, and scheduling platforms. The plan includes Rs 22.80 crore for the Scheduling, Accounting, Metering, and Settlement of Transactions (SAMAST) system, supported by the Power System Development Fund, and Rs 3.50 crore for additional metering and communication infrastructure. A Disaster Recovery facility at Khedamara, Bhilai was approved at Rs 22.00 crore.

Further allocations include Rs 93.94 crore for SCADA and Energy Management System upgrades in coordination with the Western Regional Load Dispatch Centre and GRID-INDIA. Cyber security investments include Rs 7.17 crore for a Security Operation Centre and Network Operation Centre, Rs 2.40 crore for Web Application Firewall, Network Load Balancer, and Anti-DDoS systems, Rs 2.00 crore for Data Diode deployment, and Rs 1.75 crore for monitoring tools. The plan also covers weather sensors, high-performance computing systems, demand estimation tools, and infrastructure upgrades at the Raipur SLDC. The total includes spill-over works of Rs 112.53 crore and new schemes worth Rs 52.49 crore, with a direction to initiate tendering within one year.

Common conditions

Across all three approvals, CSERC stated that capitalisation will be subject to prudence checks at the time of true-up. Approvals may lapse if works are not initiated within prescribed timelines. Funding for CSPTCL and CSLDC will follow a normative debt-equity ratio of 70:30.

The featured photograph is for representation only.