Uttarakhand disaster takes toll on hydropower projects in state

Assocham says estimated potential of 14.4 GW and of existing 45 projects have suffered huge losses

The natural disaster in Uttarakhand has severely shaken the confidence of investors in 199 ongoing hydropower projects in the state with an estimated potential of 14.4 GW, and of existing 45 projects that have suffered huge losses, according to the apex industry body Assocham.

“In Uttarakhand state, small hydro power (SHP) stations are more vulnerable to natural calamities as their power channels are more prone to landslides/cloud bursting etc”, said Rana Kapoor, President Assocham while releasing the “Assocham 10-point Strategy for Rehabilitating Hydro Power Sector in Uttarakhand”.

 Kapoor has suggested that “the Central Government needs to set up a separate cell in partnership with the state government for overseeing the rehabilitation of affected hydro power projects in the state. The cell will ensure that there is no delinquency by any government department in providing relief and concessions”.

 The estimated capital cost of setting up a small hydro electricity plant ranges between Rs 5.5 crore and Rs 7.7 crore per one megawatt and the per unit (Rs/kwh) cost of hydro power generation was estimated ranging from Rs 3.54 to Rs 5.96. It has also been perceived that the share of hydro electricity would fall from 14% in 2012 to 11% by 2030, adds the paper.

 As for the exploitation of the potential of this cheap source of energy, the country’s 149 GW estimated potential, capacities created so far account to only 32% of it. A major part of the unexploited potential exists in Himalayan region and North-East. Therefore, it is imperative for the Country to create capacities to harness hydro electricity potential in the Himalayan region that includes Uttarakhand state, says the Assocham chief.

 However, Kapoor said this requires the use of latest technologies that cause minimum damage to the ecology. “Hydel projects require regular renovation and modernization for optimal capacity utilization that involves using modern equipment like static excitation, microprocessors, data logger, and optical instruments,” Kapoor said.

 Owing to the cloud burst and unprecedented high flood in Uttarakhand, various ancillary structures of the project like roads, residential and non-residential buildings got damaged as well. Most of the damaged plants can only commence power generation by March 2014. In the private sector, major hydel projects being built by GVK, L&T, J.P. Group, Lanco etc. have suffered damages, adds the Assocham paper.

 Kapoor mentioned, as a first step towards formulating appropriate rehabilitation strategy, affected hydro power units need to be segregated into groups on the extent of damage suffered and the support required for the rehabilitation. The revival package must be phased one and single window concept should be introduced for implementing the revival package.