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NTPC Limited is diversifying into hydro power and has set a target of 9,000MW capacity by 2017. The thermal power producer will generate over 2,000MW hydroelectricity from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “The 520MW Tapovan Vishnugad (Uttarakhand) plan is expected to be commissioned by December 2011, six months ahead of schedule and can become NTPC’s first hydel project to take off,” K.K. Singh, general manager of the Rs 3,000-crore Tapovan Vishnugad project, told reporters.

Senior company officials said NTPC diversified into hydel power to become an integrated energy utility.“We have developed core competence in thermal projects and hence, in the past, were focussing entirely on coal and gas-based projects. There is a possibility of coal and gas shortages in the future and we are now trying to become an integrated energy utility with a diversified fuel mix,” officials said.

NTPC’s proposed hydro-power generation is higher than National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd’s (NHPC) installed capacity of 5,175 MW from 13 stations. NHPC is setting up 11 projects for an installed capacity of 4,622MW.

“Big hydro projects in India have faced a lot of problems in the past. That is why we want to expand our hydro footprint through small projects. We are using tunnel boring machine in the 520MW Tapovan Vishnugad project that is a first-of-its kind technology in India,” Singh said.

“We are involving locals in the power project and have provided jobs to all people affected. The use of tunnel boring machine has less environmental impact compared to drill and blast,” the NTPC official said.

NTPC is building four hydro power projects in Uttarakhand — 520MW Tapovan Vishnugad, 600MW Loharinag Pala, 171MW Lata Tapovan and 261MW Rupsia Bhagar Bara. The 800MW Koldam project in Himachal Pradesh will be operational by 2017.


Source - Telegraph