NTPC has small hydro plant plans

Chamoli,
Chamoli, Uttarakhand: National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), India's largest power generating company, is looking at expanding hydro-power capacity by commissioning small projects that require minimum displacement of people and can be completed in 5-8 years.

"Big hydro projects in India have faced a lot of problem in the past. That is why we want to expand our hydro footprint by small projects. We are using tunnel boring machine in our 520 mw Tapovan Vishnugad project that is a first of its kind technology in India, a senior company official said.

NTPC is developing four hydro power projects in Uttrakhand which will produce over 1,500 mw electricity by 2017. While Loharinag Pala will produce 600 mw, LATA Tapovan and Rupsia Bhagar Bara will produce 171 mw and 261 mw respectively. The power producer is also developing an 800 mw Koldam hydro project in Himachal Pradesh.

While the company is ahead of schedule for its Tapovan Vishnugad project and is likely to start production before the announced commissioning date of 2012, land has been acquired for Lata Tapovan project and the process is underway for the Rupsia Bhagar Khasia Bara project.

"We are involving locals in all our power projects and have provided jobs to all project affected people," the official said.

The company currently generates 30,000 mw and plans to increase it to 50,000 mw by 2017. "NTPC is a major player in thermal power production, but now we want to be a major player in hydro power as well," the official said. Uttarakhand has an installed power generation capacity of over 2,800 mw. Other than NTPC, companies such as GVK industries and Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd are present in the state with their hydro-power projects.

Soruce:http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_ntpc-has-small-hydro-plant-plans_1295705