Commercial operation of Koteshwar dam by March-end

After completing the mechanical run, Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) India is likely to begin the commercial operation of its 400 Mw Koteshwar hydel project by this month-end.

“We have already completed the mechanical run. Now the process of testing and commissioning is underway at the Koteshwar project,” said D V Singh, Director (Technical) of THDC. The Koteshwar dam is being built with a revised cost estimate of Rs 2,466.9 crore.

“We are hoping the commissioning will be done on March 20,” Singh said.

Heavy rains in September last year caused flooding in the powerhouse coupled with various other factors have delayed the commissioning of the project. THDC India, a joint venture between the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, had been generating peaking power from the 1,000-Mw Tehri hydel project, commissioned in 2006-07.