NTPC to set up first 800-Mw hydro project

800 Mw Koldam to be operational next fiscal

State-owned power generator NTPC Ltd on Thursday started filling up the reservoir of its first hydro power project, the 800-Megawatt (Mw) Koldam in Himachal Pradesh. The 163-metre reservoir is likely to be filled over the next 11 months leading to the commissioning of the project next financial year.

“Koldam project, with four units of 200 Mw each, will provide peaking capacity to the Northern Grid and generate 3,054-Gw-hour electricity annually,” the company said in a statement.
    
The project was planned 12 years ago with an estimated investment of Rs 4,527 crore. However, delays on account of “geological surprises” led to an estimated 20 per cent cost overrun. “Koldam project, with four units of 200 Mw each, will provide peaking capacity to the Northern grid and generate 3,054-Gw-hour electricity annually,” the company said in a statement.

The project is located on Satluj river in Bilaspur district. Around 12 per cent of its power would be supplied to the host state for free. The rest would be transmitted to seven northern states. State-owned transmission utility Power Grid Corporation (PGCIL) is currently laying down the transmission network for the project. Thanks to the high silt content of the Satluj, the life of the reservoir is limited to 30 years.

NTPC is currently constructing 1,500-Mw hydro capacity, including 800-Mw Koldam,  520-Mw Tapovan Vishnugad and 171 Mw-Lata Tapovan in Uttarakhand, apart from an 8-Mw Singrauli hydro project in UP.

The company has installed capacity of 42,454 Mw, around 19 per cent of India’s total capacity. NTPC operates 16 coal-based and seven gas-based projects apart from six power stations in joint ventures.