NJPC achieves 80 per cent power generation

Shimla, Oct 10 (UNI) The country's largest 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation (NJPC) in Kinnuar and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh has achieved 80 per cent of its power generation target by September seven, this year, a company spokesman said today.

The project has already achieved 80 per cent of its target this year following an increase in the height of the reserviour and uninterrupted power generation during the year, he said in a release here.

The spokesman said the company had also generated 5,000 million units (MUs) of power by September seven, this year, adding that it had produced this amount of power by November 23, last year.

The NJPC, a joint venture between the Himachal Government and the Centre, has achieved this milestone 45 days earlier as compared to last year, he said.

He said the plant was shut down for longer durations during the last fiscal following increase in the silt level beyond 4,000 parts per million (PPM) as compared to only 10 days this year.

He said due to resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) problems associated with the big dams, the NJPC has been developed as run of the river project, power generation on which depended on the inflow of water in the river.

Peak power generation was achieved during the summers when the water inflow in the river was maximum, while generation during the winters was affected due to lack of water, he said.

The spokesman said keeping in view of the requirement of the Grid, power generation was increased during the morning and afternoons by storing water during the day in the winters.

The winter period was also utilised for maintenance of the machines, which were run to full load when sufficient water was available, he said.

He said the company has generated 2,135 crore units of power and earned revenue of Rs 8,400 crore during eights and half years of its commercial operation, besides providing 12 per cent free power to Himachal as royalty.

UNI