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Nepal is preparing an MoU in which India's hydroelectric major NHPC will collaborate with state-run VUCL to develop a 480 MW semi-reservoir hydropower project in the western part of the country at an estimated cost of Rs 92 billion, an official said on Friday. The move comes days after Nepal and India inked an agreement to increase the power import and export capacity through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line from 600 MW to 800 MW. "Our government has asked NHPC (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation), a government of India company, to collaborate with Nepal's Vidyut Utpadan Company Ltd (VUCL), to develop a hydropower project," Baburaj Adhikari, information officer at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation told PTI. According to the draft MoU, the Nepal government is planning for a 51:49 NHPC-VUCL joint venture. If this MoU gets inked, the Phukot Karnali Hydropower Project, which is a semi-reservoir project with a capacity of 480 MW, will be constructed
To promote pumped storage hydro-power projects in India, the Ministry of Power has proposed giving incentives such as tax breaks, easy environment clearance and providing land at concessional rates. The ministry has released draft guidelines on pumped storage projects (PSPs) to seek comments from states and state-run companies as well as private firms within a fortnight till March 2, 2023. Keeping in view the immense utility of the PSPs in grid stabilisation as well as meeting the peaking power demand, a need for formulating separate guidelines to promote PSPs was felt to set the direction of its development, the minsitry said in the guidelines. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimates regarding on-river pumped storage potential is 103 GW in India. Apart from this, a large number of off-river pumped storage potential is also available, the ministry added. As of now, eight projects (4,745.60 MW) are presently operational, four projects (2,780 MW) are under construction, and
Power Minister R K Singh on Wednesday brushed aside apprehensions that water storage or dam projects, which also generate hydro electricity, harm environment, and urged experts to commission an authoritative and scientific study to find out the truth. Speaking at a symposium on sustainable development of dams and river basins, Singh said, "I have not seen science of environment being harmed. I see science of progress in this (water storage). Punjab and Haryana developed and they are where they are today because of Bhakra Nangal dam." He further said, "If you ask any person in Bihar, then his dearest wish is to construct large dams on the river Kosi in Nepal. Wherever we constructed large dams, we have improved the lives of people...generations. This is the message we need to convey." He brought attention toward pushback to water storage or dam projects in the country by NGOs (non-government organisations) or civil societies which claim that these would harm environment. The ministe