Reliance Energy to foray into hydel power

Reliance Energy, an Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprise (ADAE), will invest Rs 1,700 crore to build a 340-Mw hydel project at Urthing Sobla in the Pithoragarh district of Uttaranchal.

Through this project, Reliance Energy wants to make a foray into the hydro sector also.

"We have allotted the Urthing Sobla project on the river Kali to Reliance Energy in Pithoragarh," Uttaranchal Principal Secretary (Power) N Ravishanker said.

Besides entering the hydro power sector, Reliance Energy is also pursuing wind energy projects and launched efforts to tap nuclear energy.

Some of the areas pertaining to the project come under the Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, which has become a hurdle for the power plant. "We are soon going to take up this issue as to what can be done," Ravishanker said.

Legal advice is also being sought on the issue. At best, the government may seek special permission to keep the Urthing Sobla project out of the Askot Wildlife Sanctuary.

The power generation capacity in Uttaranchal, which is being billed as an energy state, is expected to rise considerably with the government stating that it will generate another 1,700 Mw in the 11th Plan (2002-07), while it has set a target of producing 4,000 Mw in the 12th Plan. Currently, Uttaranchal is producing 1,400 Mw.

The National Thermal Power Corporation, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, Tehri Hydro Power Corporation, and Uttaranchal Jal Vidyut Nigam are some of the big government enterprises constructing major hydel projects in the state. The controversial Tehri Hydel project alone will produce 2,400 Mw on completion.

The first phase (250 Mw) of the Tehri project is expected to generate electricity this month. The state has identified 20,000 Mw potential.

With the electricity generation scenario expected to perk up considerably in Uttaranchal in the near future, the state government will set up an integrated transmission network for power evacuation at Rs 30 crore and invite private players in this regard.

For this purpose, the government has sought loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) after the Centre gave its approval.