Jammu & Kashmir to Add 6,760 Megawatts of Hydropower by 2017

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The government of the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has formulated a comprehensive and ambitious plan to generate 6,760 megawatts (MW) of hydropower by the end of the nation's 12th Five-Year Plan period (2012-17). While addressing the audience at a function, Shabir Ahmed, the minister of state for Power and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD), said that the state had the potential to contribute 20,000 MW of hydropower and that the government planned to harness that in several phases. He said that sufficient infrastructure was the key factor for realizing the target of a prosperous state. The power generated would benefit the state and its neighbors.

The minister said that several important hydropower projects were being implemented in J&K by both the state and the central governments. Some of the projects are the 450-MW Baglihar Stage-II, the 240-MW Kirthi-I, the 990-MW Kirthi-II, the 330-MW Kishan Ganga, the 50-MW Lower Kalnai, the 93-MW New Ganderbal, the 37.5-MW Parnai, the 1,200-MW Sawlakote, and the 240-MW Uri-II.

The remaining period of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-12) would see the addition of 28.61 MW of generating capacity under the state sector, and 481.5 MW under the central sector. The current financial year has seen the commissioning of the state-developed 10-MW Athwathoo Small Hydropower (SHP), while the 7.5-MW Brenwar SHP is scheduled to be commissioned before the end of this fiscal year. Projects under the central sector that are being implemented are the 44-MW Chutak, 45-MW Nimo-Bazgo, 120-MW Sewa-II, Uri-II, Kishen Ganga, and the 1,020-MW Bursor hydropower project.

The J&K State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) (Srinagar, J&K) has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the government-run hydroelectric power generating company NHPC Limited (BSE:533098) (Faridabad, Haryana) and power trading company PTC India Limited (BSE:532524) (New Delhi), under which the three will form a joint venture company that will set up three hydropower plants during the ongoing 11th Five-Year Plan period. They are the 1,000-MW Pakal Dul, the 560-MW Kawar, and the 600-MW Kiru projects.

The decision to develop 6,760 MW of power generating capacity was first announced by Shabir Ahmed while addressing an all states' Power Ministers' Conference at New Delhi in mid-November. He said that the state government hoped to receive continued financial support from the central government to harness the huge hydropower potential of the state. He added that the state also had a huge potential for the development of solar and geothermal power, and he hoped the central government would help the state in generating power from both sources.

J&K currently has 19 hydropower projects with an installed power generating capacity of 759 MW under the state sector and 1,560 MW under the central sector. JKSPDC also operates gas-based power projects, with the capacity to generate 175 MW of power. While projects worth about 108 MW are currently being implemented by independent power producers, projects with a combined generating capacity of 122.55 are being processed and will be developed by independent power producers in the next phase. The state already has identified 16,200 MW worth of hydropower projects, out of the possible 20,000 MW.

In June 2009, the peak demand for power in the state during the 2009-10 period was estimated at 2,247 MW, against the availability of 1,545 MW.

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