India needs 18 GW Capacity Addition to Meet HPO Norms by 2030

According to the rating agency ICRA, India needs around 18 GW hydro capacity addition to meet the hydro purchase obligation (HPO) norms by 2030. The central government of India has also outlined the policy measures to promote investment in the segment through notifications of HPO norms.

The SERCs in some of the states have also been notified of the HPO norms. The ICRA has also listed out some of the reasons for the delays in clearance and geological risks which led to significant time and cost overrun for hydro projects.

 The senior vice president of ICRA, Girishkumar Kadam has said that the incremental hydropower capacity will remain significant at 18 GW based on the notified hydro purchase obligation norms and trajectory available till 2030.