NHPC lines up Rs 60k cr for new projects

Hydel power corporation eyes 9 projects of 23,000 Mw in AP, 6 projects of 3870 Mw in J&K.

Having earmarked its neighbours as potential bases for setting up hydel-power generation capacity, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation has identified various locations for setting up plants with a combined capacity of 26,870 Mw. It plans to invest around Rs 60,000 crore for capacity addition by 2012.

The corporation (NHPC) is buoyant about the prospects of plants in Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. It has set its sights on nine projects in Arunachal Pradesh with a combined capacity of 23,000 Mw.

"The projects are in the Tawang basin, Subansiri middle, Siyon upper, Dibang, Etalin, Atunli, Naba and Niari. We are in talks with the state government for the development of these projects and are quite hopeful that it will look at our case favourably," NHPC Chairman and Managing Director S K Garg said.

The hydel power generation major is also looking at developing six projects in Jammu and Kashmir with a total capacity of 3870 Mw.

"The projects are Bursar, Kiru, Ratle, Kawar and Shamnot. We are preparing the detailed project reports for them," Garg added.

The allotment of Siyom and Siang Lower projects to private developers by the Arunachal Pradesh government has not derailed NHPC's plans. The corporation has spent around Rs 80 crore for preparing the detailed project reports for these projects.

NHPC believes that the total hydroelectric generation potential in the north eastern region of the country is around 60,000 Mw. "Only 2 per cent of this potential has been tapped," Garg said.

It takes an investment of around Rs 5 crore per Mw for hydro power generation to be set up. "Of the Rs 60,000 crore investments that we have planned, funds will come from the government's equity support, internal company accruals and borrowings from domestic and international markets," Garg said.