The commissioning of the Parbati-II hydropower project, which was delayed by about 13 years due to tunnelling issues, has slipped further into FY25, according to NHPC Ltd.
NHPC Ltd, India's largest state-owned hydropower company, had initially planned to commission the 800 MW project in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district in March 2024. The plant consists of four units, each with a capacity of 200 MW.
However, recent heavy rains and floods in Himachal Pradesh have significantly impacted the hydropower plant's supporting infrastructure, including access routes and approaches, resulting in additional delays.
"We had originally intended to commission two units in this financial year (FY24). However, the rains and floods in Himachal Pradesh have been a setback, particularly for this project. As a result, these two units will now be commissioned in early FY25," said Rajeev Kumar Vishnoi, the Chairperson and Managing Director (CMD) of NHPC Ltd during a recent interaction with investors.
Vishnoi also mentioned that repairing the damages caused by the natural calamity would lead to some cost escalation for the project. However, he did not provide a specific estimate of the additional costs that the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) would incur.
Also read: All tenders for Dibang hydropower project to be awarded by December: NHPC Ltd.
"There may be some additional costs incurred for repairing the damages caused by the floods. Additionally, there will be other expenditures related to expediting the lining work and employing some non-conventional construction technologies. However, the additional cost is not expected to be substantial, and it won't have a significant impact on the tariff," Vishnoi stated.
The Parbati-II project was initiated in 2003 and was originally scheduled for commissioning in 2010. However, it faced continuous delays due to various challenges, including tunnelling issues, water and silt seepage, flash floods, cloudbursts, and adverse geological conditions.
Regarding the previous delays in the project, Vishnoi explained that the primary challenge in the Parbati-II project was the excavation of the tunnel, which became increasingly challenging. "We were using two different construction technologies for excavation: tunnel boring machines and drill-and-blasting methods. Just as we were nearing completion of this excavation, the disaster occurred," he noted.
At present, the tunnel is almost complete, except for a 65-meter stretch towards one end. To expedite the remaining lining work, NHPC has decided to implement an upgraded construction technology. While approximately 65 meters of tunnelling work remains, the lining work extends for about three kilometers.
In the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on August 31, Vishnoi informed shareholders that the first and second units of the Subansiri Lower hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh are expected to be commissioned in January and March 2024, respectively.
NHPC Ltd began construction work on the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower hydroelectric project in January 2005 after receiving forest clearance on October 12, 2004. However, due to protests and agitations by local stakeholders, construction work on the project was halted from December 2011 to October 2019. Construction resumed on October 15, 2019, following clearance from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
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