New Delhi: A total of 205 energy infrastructure projects across India are running over budget by Rs 1.34 lakh crore, according to data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The projects, covering oil and gas, power transmission and distribution (T&D), electricity generation, and energy storage, have seen both cost and schedule overruns as of the end of September.
The original combined cost of these projects was Rs 8.50 lakh crore, which has now increased to Rs 9.84 lakh crore. Of the 205 projects, 154 belong to the oil and gas and T&D sectors. MoSPI data shows that 89 oil and gas projects, 65 T&D projects, 35 electricity generation projects, and 16 energy storage projects were delayed during the period.
Oil and gas and electricity generation projects account for the largest share of the total revised cost, together amounting to Rs 7.08 lakh crore. The revised cost of oil and gas projects stands at Rs 3.78 lakh crore, while electricity generation projects total Rs 3.29 lakh crore. T&D projects now cost Rs 1.56 lakh crore, and energy storage projects have reached Rs 1.20 lakh crore.
Among individual projects, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (HPCL) Rajasthan Refinery faces the highest cost escalation. The refinery, originally estimated at Rs 43,129 crore, now carries a revised cost of Rs 79,459 crore, reflecting an overrun of Rs 36,330 crore.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (BPCL) Ethylene Cracker Project at Bina Refinery, which includes downstream petrochemical plants and expansion from 7.8 MMTPA to 11 MMTPA, is also witnessing cost overruns. Similarly, Indian Oil Corporation’s Panipat Refinery expansion project has been delayed, resulting in an additional cost of Rs 1,598 crore.
In the electricity generation segment, the Dibang Multipurpose Project is among those facing delays. MoSPI continues to track these projects as part of its regular review of major infrastructure developments in the energy sector.