Hydropower Projects

Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries on Thursday said it has secured a 150 MW wind-solar hybrid project through its arm Sembcorp Green Infra Private Ltd. The build-own-operate project is part of a 600 MW bid issued by SECI. Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp), through its wholly-owned renewables subsidiary Sembcorp Green Infra Private Ltd, has received the Letter of Award (LOA) for a 150MW Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) connected wind-solar hybrid power project (the Project) from Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI), according to a company statement. The power generated from this project will be sold to SECI under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) lasting 25 years. This is, however, subject to the execution of the PPA and upon completion of the project, the statement said. The Project is expected to be ready for commercial operation within 24 months from the date of signing the PPA and will be funded through a mixture of internal funds and debt. With this award,

India, which aims for net zero emissions by 2070, is looking for renewable power to fuel its economic expansion. Nepal and Bhutan have surplus power and export 2,070 megawatts and 700 megawatts

Heavy September rainfall in the west and north resulted in lower power demand, CRISIL, a unit of ratings agency S&P, said in a recent note

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district on Saturday, protesting the proposed 12,500-mw hydropower project. The protest, organised by the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF), was held in Geku village, opposing the preliminary study being conducted in the area for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). Around 600 villagers gathered at the spot around 8 am, raising slogans against the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Chief Minister Pema Khandu. Geku's Extra Assistant Commissioner A Ratan said the protest was peaceful and ended at 1 pm without any untoward incident. The NHPC has proposed three sites in the Upper Siang and Siang districts for the construction of the dam. One site is between Parong and Deging villages, one at Ugeng near Riga village and another between Ditte-Dime and Geku, officials said. The NHPC has been conducting surveys at the proposed sites to prepare a feasibility report for the project, they said.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 12,461 crore outlay to support the development of 31,350 MW hydropower projects to be implemented over the next eight years. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Power for modification of the scheme of budgetary support for the cost of Enabling Infrastructure for Hydro Electric Projects (HEP) with a total outlay of Rs 12,461 crore, an official statement said. According to the statement, the scheme will be implemented from FY2024-25 to FY2031-32. The limit of the budgetary support for the cost of enabling infrastructure has been rationalised to Rs one crore/MW for projects up to 200 MW and Rs 200 crore plus Rs 0.75 crore per MW exceeding 200 MW, for projects above 200 MW.

Pakistan is conducting a review of existing and upcoming power projects, including hydropower and nuclear plants, in response to concerns over energy overcapacity and pricing, which have led to financial strain, including high capacity payments to IPPs for unused power, media reports said on Saturday. Maintaining that the review is aimed at assessing the viability and efficiency of these power projects as the country faces surplus energy production, the need to optimise power generation was stressed to align with current demand and ensure economic sustainability, newspaper The News International said. The development comes amid reports that Pakistan government has reportedly disbursed approximately Rs1 trillion in capacity payments to 26 independent power producers (IPPs) using gas, regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG), and residual furnace oil-based (RFO) over the past decade, starting from 2015, as per a report by the Business Recorder. The News International quoted Minister fo

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved equity support of Rs 4,136 crore to northeast states for developing hydropower projects, totalling 15,000 MW capacity over the next eight years. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Power for providing central financial assistance (CFA) to the state governments of NER (North East Region) towards their equity participation in the development of hydroelectric projects through Joint Venture (JV) collaboration between state entities and Central Public Sector Undertakings, an official statement said. This scheme has an outlay of Rs 4,136 crore to be implemented from 2024-25 to 2031-32, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a briefing on the Cabinet decisions. A cumulative hydro capacity of about 15,000 MW would be supported under the scheme, the statement said. The scheme will be funded through 10 per cent gross budgetary support (GBS) for the northeastern regi

At least 14 hydroelectric projects in Himachal Pradesh have suffered damage due to flash floods since July 25, with some being affected multiple times over the past 10 years, according to a new analysis. As damage to hydroelectric projects from flash floods and cloudbursts becomes a recurring issue -- impacting both communities and power generation -- experts are calling for disaster risk analyses to be conducted before such projects are undertaken. They also recommend the preparation of robust disaster management plans, and the installation of early warning systems and flood forecast stations. According to the analysis by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers, and People (SANDRP), two hydroelectric projects (HEPs) suffered significant damage due to a "cloudburst-induced flash flood" in the Palchan area of Kullu district on the intervening night of July 25-26. Both HEPs -- the 2-megawatt Pinnacle HEP on the Serai river and the 9-MW Beas Kund HEP on the Beas river -- are owned and

Renewables accounted for 11.7% of India's power output in the year that ended in March, down from 11.8% a year earlier

Pumped storage hydropower is a type of hydroelectric energy storage that uses water stored in two reservoirs at different elevations to generate electricity

The Arunachal Pradesh government on Saturday signed an agreement with the Tehri Hydropower Development Corporation India Ltd (THDCIL) for developing the 1,200-mw Kalai-II hydroelectric project in the Lohit river basin at a cost of Rs 13,000 crore. State Hydropower Commissioner Ankur Garg and THDCIL's director (technical) Bhupender Gupta signed the agreement on behalf of the two sides. Chief Secretary Dharmendra presided over programme. In August, the state government signed agreements with three central PSUs -- NHPC, SJVN and NEEPCO -- for developing 12 hydropower projects, having a combined capacity of 11,517 mw, in Subansiri, Dibang and Siang basins. With the allotment of Kalai-II project to THDCIL, the government concluded agreements for 13 projects with a total capacity of 12,717 mw in this calendar year. The Kalai-II project was initially allotted to an independent power developer in 2009 but it did not take off due to various reasons. This is the first project to be taken up b

As many as 13 under-construction hydroelectric projects with a total generation capacity of 13,000 MW will bring an investment of around Rs 1.4 lakh crore in Arunachal Pradesh, Union Power Minister R K Singh said. Singh visited the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project located in Arunachal Pradesh / Assam on Monday, a power ministry statement said. The minister inspected the Subansiri project construction sites, namely the dam, intake structures and diversion tunnels in Gerukamukh, Assam. He took stock of the ongoing construction activities and was briefed about the progress. The minister said that besides Subansiri, which is a large project, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh has entered into MoUs with central public sector undertakings for 13 projects, which will amount to a hydroelectric capacity of 13,000 MW in Arunachal. "These projects will bring in investment of around Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the state, resulting in quadrupling of per capita income. And the nation wi

The catastrophe underlines big dam weaknesses

UP has set a target to generate 22,000 mw of renewable energy over the next five years spanning solar and other sources

Plants managed by NHPC Ltd., JSW Energy Ltd., SJVN Ltd. and Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd. are operating again after being clogged by silt from the floods, according to the regional grid operator

State-run hydropower company NHPC Ltd. will start trial runs in July for the Subansiri Lower project that runs through the states of Assam and Arunchal Pradesh in the country's north-east

The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday said it has asked the Centre to fix a 40-year contract for the operation of hydropower plants and increase the state's share in electricity generated from such projects. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met Union power minister R K Singh who visited Kinnaur district of the hill state recently. Sukhu urged the Union minister to fix a 40-year contract with the state government for various hydropower projects, including those of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), according to a statement issued here. The chief minister also demanded higher share of electricity from these projects as the state is being deprived of its revenue from several projects that have become debt-free, the statement said. At present, there is no agreement between the Centre and state for the operation and management of hydropower projects even as the state gets a fixed share of free electricity as royalty for providing

The company is targeting 5,000 MW projects in Nepal by 2030

A typical project is delayed by years after they first seek to begin work

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" said on Tuesday that the government recognises the importance of the hydropower sector and its potential to become a strong base for the Himalayan nation's economic prosperity and export clean and green energy. Prachanda was the chief guest at the inaugural session of the Power Summit 2023, which kicked off on Tuesday here with the slogan "Broaden green energy market. Over 250 delegates from around two dozen countries, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, are participating in the summit, organised by the Independent Power Producers' Association of Nepal (IPPAN). The Prime Minister underlined Nepal's need to export surplus electricity to attain economic prosperity. He identified four areas where hydropower can be utilised in the country:- agriculture, cooking, industry and transportation, and asserted that domestic use of hydropower not only helps to reduce pollution but also aids in minimising the Himalayan country's