Budget push for new thermal plants, pumped storage in India’s power mix; focus on baseload capacity

In an attempt to counterbalance the variability of renewable energy and strengthen India’s baseload power capacity, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans to set up the country’s first 800 MW advanced ultra supercritical (AUSC) thermal plant based on indigenous technology.Sitharaman also unveiled plans to formulate a policy for energy storage focusing on promoting pumped storage projects (a type of hydroelectric energy storage) and underscored the need for developing nuclear energy capacities through private sector collaboration.“A joint venture between NTPC and BHEL will set up a full scale 800 MW commercial plant using AUSC technology. The government will provide the required fiscal support,” Sitharaman said. In 2021, BHEL had completed a research and development project to develop indigenous technology for AUSC thermal plants, which boast higher efficiency and lower fuel consumption, with a project outlay of around `900 crore. “In Phase-II, the world’s first 800 MW AUSC...