NTPC set to realise its hydel dream next year

NTPC CMD AR Choudhury

POWER major NTPC on Thursday started filling up the reservoir of its Koldam project in Himachal Pradesh. The move will enable the Maharatna company fulfil its decade-long hydel dream sometime next year. Built in Himachal’s Bilaspur district and located six km upstream of Dehar power house of the Beas-Satluj Link Project (BSL), the 800-MW project would provide...
the much-needed generation capacity to meet a sudden rise in electricity demand in the northern grid. It will also enhance the life of Bhakra reservoir considerably by trapping the sediments of Satlej in Koldam, NTPC said in a statement.
Koldam project with an installed capacity of 800 MW (4x200 MW) will annually generate 3054 GWh electricity at 90 percent dependable year basis, said the statement. NTPC took up implementation of its first hydro venture namely Koldam Hydro Power Project on river Satluj after Techno Economic Clearance (TEC) and award of Main Dam package in December 2003.
The reservoir would need 10-11 months to fill up to the desired level for switching on the power house. Koldam is NTPC's first hydel project that was envisaged as part of efforts to diversify the fuel mix. It has been built on river Satlej. The main dam package was awarded in December, 2003.
The cost of the project, at December 2001 price level and excluding interest during construction, was fixed at over Rs 4,527 crore. The project would provide power to Himachal and other state utilities connected to the northern grid.
The project that faced several challenges during its construction due to geological surprises and environmental issues, has some unique features like diversion structure, 163 metre high rock fill dam, spillway, decanting chamber power house and switch yard. The associated transmission system for Koldam, is presently being developed by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. Considering the high silt content of the Satluj river, the life of the reservoir is expected to be 30 years. Presently, NTPC is constructing about 1500 MW hydro capacity with 800 MW at Koldam, 520 MW at Tapovan Vishnugad, 171 MW at Lata Tapovan and 8 MW at Singrauli. The total installed capacity of NTPC is 42454 MW from its 16 coal-based, seven gas-based, six JV power stations and two renewable projects and it contributed about 28 percent of electricity in the country, with 19 percent of India's installed capacity in the year 2012-13.
Earlier, on Wednesday NTPC tied up a fixed interest term loan facility for EUR 55 million with KfW, the German government developmental financial institution to part finance the Mouda Stage-II power project. An agreement to this effect was signed by GK Sadhu, executive director (finance) on behalf of NTPC. KfW has in the past provided financial support to the company’s renovation and modernization and emission reduction schemes. NTPC also inked a financing agreement with the German company to set up of solar thermal and photovoltaic lab at NETRA under the aegis of Indo-German Research Cooperation through a grant of Euro 5 million and matching contribution from NTPC. These world class labs are being set up with assistance from German R&D institutions DLR, Cologne and ISE, Fraunhofer for characterization of Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic prototypes and components.