Cabinet approves Investment Proposal of SJVN’s 210-MW Luhri Hydel Project
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By: Vijay Kumar Verma, Group Editor-ICN World
SHIMLA : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved investment of Rs.1810.56 crores for 210 MW Luhri Stage-1 Hydro Electric Project of SJVN, being developed on river Satluj in Shimla & Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh. The approval includes budgetary support of Rs 66.19 Crores for infrastructure development. This will be the third hydro power project on river Satluj being taken up for implementation by SJVN after commissioning the country’s largest 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri hydro power station and 412 MW Rampur hydro power station upstream on the river.
Nand Lal Sharma Chairman & Managing Director, SJVN informed that the Luhri Hydro Electric Project was initially envisaged as a single stage project and the MoU with Government of Himachal Pradesh was signed on 27.10.2008. In March 2015, Government of Himachal Pradesh advised SJVN to review and explore the possibility of executing the project in multi-stages. Accordingly, the project was redesigned in three stages i.e. 210 MW Luhri Stage-1 HEP, 172 MW Luhri Stage-II HEP & 382 MW Sunni Dam HEP, and all three projects were reallocated to SJVN by the government of Himachal Pradesh on 29.08.2017.
Subsequently, in the august presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister,i Narendra Modi, MoUs were signed with Govt. of Himachal Pradesh during Rising Himachal Global Investor Meet 2019 for executing these projects on Stand Alone Basis.
Nand Lal Sharma apprised that 210 MW Luhri Stage-1 Hydro Electric Project is being developed on river Satluj near Nirath village along NH-05 in Distt Shimla & Kullu, Himachal Pradesh on Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (BOOM) basis.
210 MW Luhri Stage-1 Hydro Electric Project is a run-of-the river scheme with pondage for peaking for 3.40 hrs. A Concrete Gravity Dam, 80-meter-high 225-meter long & 8-meter-wide, would be constructed, which would create a reservoir of about 6 (Six) Kilometers. For enabling the construction of the Dam, the flow of the river will be diverted through a 567-meter long Horse Shoe shaped Diversion Tunnel of 10-meter diameter.
Sharma informed that the Discharge of 644 cumecs would be utilized through four intakes which after traversing via four penstocks having 90-meter length would enter the turbines.
For 210 MW Luhri Stage-1 Hydro Electric Project, a Dam Toe Power House having two main units of 80 MW & two auxiliary units of 25 MW each is planned on the right bank of river Satluj. The project will generate 758 Million Units of energy annually. He assured that SJVN is committed to complete this project within the stipulated time frame of 62 months.
The construction activities of the project will result in employment generation for around 2000 persons and socio-economic development of the State. Further, Himachal Pradesh will be benefited with Free Power of around Rs. 1050 crores during Project Life Cycle of 40 years.
The Project Affected Families will be provided free 100 units of electricity per month for ten (10) years. Besides 1% additional Local Area Development Fund (about Rs. 3.08) Crores per annum. Execution of the project will lead to development of roads & bridges, healthcare services and other local infrastructures.
The project on completion, would reduce 6.1 lakh Tons of carbon dioxide from environment annually. The power generated from the project will help in grid balancing and will also improve the power supply position.
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