Coal news and updates

SCCL to invest Rs 3000 cr for 500 MW pumped storage power plant

: Aligned with the idea of moving beyond coal mining, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) plans to set up a pumped storage power plant (PSP) with an investment of Rs 3,000 crore at Medipalli open cast (OC) mine at in Ramagundam-1 Area. The plant will be the first ever PSP in the state and is expected to generate a strong financial return for SCCL with a projected lifespan of 40 years at a capacity of 500 megawatts (MW). SCCL has now entrusted WAPCOS Limited—a government agency—with the task of preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) by officially issuing a Letter of Award. The DPR will include geological, geotechnical, hydrological, civil design, power generation capacity, mechanical and electrical designs, environmental and safety aspects. It will also provide estimates of construction time, total costs, and the market potential for the power produced by the plant. The Medipalli OC mine has a large water sump about 157 meters deep, which holds a substantial volume of water year-round. The proposed project will include the construction of another surface reservoir of similar capacity. Due to the availability of both the deep-water sump and suitable surface land for a reservoir at the Medipalli mine, SCCL has identified it as the optimal site for this project. The surface reservoir is expected to be around 2,350 meters in length and 23 meters in depth, with a total water storage capacity of 9.64 million cubic meters. Out of this, about 8 million cubic meters will be used for power.