BHUBANESWAR: Amid uncertainty from thermal power producers due to coal supply problems and increasing emphasis on the use of clean energy, the State Government has decided to explore the possibility of promoting more mini-hydropower projects.
The Energy Department is going to locate as many as 45 sites for the development of mini-hydropower stations.
Energy Secretary Bishnupada Sethi has directed the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) and Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Limited (GEDCOL) to prepare a pre-feasibility report of 45 potential sites for the development of mini-hydropower plants.
Taking a review of the MoUs signed for min-hydel projects here, Sethi directed the developers to expedite the works so as to complete the projects in next three to four years.
As per the MoUs, the plants have the capacity to generate 182 MW. At present, three small hydropower projects are in operation and the State is getting about 57 MW of power.
Another four mini-hydel projects are under different stages of construction.
The Government had signed MoUs with private developers for setting up 29 small hydroelectric projects (SHEP). It includes 25 MW middle Kolab Tentuliguma project and 12 MW lower Kolab project in Koraput district, 20 MW Samal barrage project, 24.4 MW hydel project at Harabhangi in Gajapati district, 9 MW Baragarh Head Regulator and 9 MW Salandi Dam project in Keonjhar district among others.
Meanwhile, pre-feasibility report (PFR) for 13 SHEPs with an approximate capacity of 168 MW has been prepared by GEDCOL.
This includes the DPR for 3 MW (2 X 1.5MW) Jambhira SHEP in Mayurbhanj and 4.2 MW (2 X 2.1 MW) Kanupur project in Keonjhar.
MoU has been signed with Engineer in Chief (Electricity) for development of Kanpur SHEP.
“The Government is keen to develop small and micro-hydel plants to reduce its dependency on thermal power. The State has the potential to produce more hydropower, but the project implementation is getting delayed due to various reasons. We are trying to sort out the problems,” a senior officer of the Energy Department said.
The State is currently getting about 800 MW from its seven hydropower plants out of its total need of 3,300 MW. The hydropower stations of the State has the capacity to generate over 1,500 MW during peak hour in normal hydel condition.