The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has recommended the granting of Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 1,200 MW Sikaser Open Loop Pumped Storage Hydro-electric Project in Chhattisgarh in its latest meeting.
The project is being developed by Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Limited (CSPGCL) near Sikaser village in Gariyaband district.
The Rs Rs 5,118.03 billion project spans 160 hectares and leverages the head difference between a proposed upper dam and the existing Sikaser reservoir, which will serve as the lower pond. An underground powerhouse will house turbines and generators connected by a water conductor system between the two reservoirs.
The proposed infrastructure includes the construction of an upper dam, intake systems, headrace and pressure tunnels, penstock, powerhouse, transformer hall, tailrace tunnel, and outlet facilities.
Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on October 6, 2023, between the Government of Chhattisgarh and CSPGCL, granting in-principle approval for the project’s establishment.
In the same meeting, the EAC deferred the following four projects:
- Myntdu Leshka Hydro Electric Project Stage-II (3X70 MW) by Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited in West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya
- Chentikheda Major Irrigation Project by Dinesh Kumar Ratnakar in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh
- Teesta Hydroelectric Project Stage-III (1,200 MW) by Sikkim Urja Limited in North District, Sikkim
- Warasgaon Warangi Pumped Storage Project by Adani Green Energy Limited in Pune, Maharashtra