The Uttar Pradesh government has granted in-principal approval for a 1,200 MW pumped storage power project proposed to be set up in the Robertsganj tehsil of Sonbhadra district at an estimated cost of Rs 6,600 crore by THDC India.

“The project is expected to generate electricity for 6 hours and 36 minutes each day to meet the peak demand as per requirement. It is an off-stream closed-loop pump storage project. The project requires 300.55 hectares of land,” an official said.

For the operation of the project, an initial filling of the reservoir would require 15.031 million cubic metres (MCM) of water annually and 1.7112 MCM due to loss caused by evaporation. The water supply would be sourced from the Son river, the official added.

Chief secretary and infrastructure & industrial development commissioner, Manoj Kumar Singh, said, “This project marks a significant step towards enhancing the power infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh and reinforces the state’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions.