Unviable Arunachal hydro projects have been dumped on Central PSUs

Unviable Arunachal hydro projects have been dumped on Central PSUs

Subject :Geography

Section: Economic Geography

Context:

• The 12 hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh that were officially handed over to three Central public sector undertakings (CPSUs) are economically unviable, water resources experts said.

Details:

• Private companies had given up on these projects with a total installed capacity of 11,523 megawatts, which would require at least ₹1,42,000 crore to be executed by the CPSUs.
• The Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam and the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) have been awarded five projects while National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) would handle two projects.

‘Meeting net-zero goal’:

• The development of these projects will help achieve the declared nationally determined contribution target of India’s non-fossil energy capacity to reach 500 gigawatts by 2030.

Alternative to HPPs:

• Micro hydro is a small-scale hydroelectric power generation system that typically generates up to 100 kilowatts (kW) of electricity.
• These systems use the energy of falling water to turn a turbine, which, in turn, generates electricity.
• They can be used for various applications, including powering homes, businesses, and small communities.
• Advantages of Micro hydro systems:
  • Less expensive
  • Can be located in inaccessible areas
  • Reliable source of energy to communities
  • Smaller environmental footprint
• Micro hydro systems can be classified into two main types – run-of-river and storage systems.
  • Run-of-river systems use the natural flow of water in a stream or river to generate electricity.
  • Storage systems use a reservoir to store water and release it as needed to generate electricity.

Hydro-electric Project in Northeast India: