DSCL bags 260 MW Kutehr HE project in Himachal at Rs 1,058 cr

New Delhi, Oct 16 (UNI) DS Constructions Ltd (DSCL), a pioneer in PPP infrastructure development and engineering construction in India, today said it has won the bid to develop, construct and operate the 260 MW Kutehr Hydro Project on river Ravi in Himachal Pradesh at an estimated cost of Rs 1,058 crore.

Once completed, the project will have a capacity of generating 1075.26GWH of power comprising 3 units of 86.67 MW each.

DSCL has bagged the contract from competing eight national and international players, including Reliance Energy, Lanco, JSW, Jai Prakash Industries, Brackel, Torrent&Gammon and KS Associates, making it its second hydro electric power project in India on a Build-Operate-Transfer basis, after the 1000MW Naying HE project in Arunachal Pradesh.

The 260MW Kutehr Hydel Project will be constructed on river Ravi in Himachal Pradesh at an approximate cost of Rs 1058 crore. DSCL has made a bid for an up-front payment of Rs 52 lakh per MW for this project, which is the largest upfront payment ever made in the country for a hydroelectric project.

The company has already started preparing the Detailed Project Report and subsequently, the construction work on this project will be completed over a period of 7 years from date of financial closure. The concession period for the project is 40 years.

Under the contract, 12 per cent of the power is to be given free to Himachal Pradesh for the first 12 years, 18 per cent for the 13th to 30th year and 30 per cent for 31st to 40th year. DSCL can sell the remaining power to any state in India.

''We have always followed a very selective bid strategy that has been the cornerstone of our fast growth in India. With this project, we have strengthened our presence in the power sector in India. Our rich experience and commitment in executing large infrastructure projects has enabled us to bag this significant project,'' DSCL MD M S Narula said.

In a short span of four years, the company has bagged and executed some significant projects in roads&highways, railways, SEZs and hydro power in the country, amounting to Rs 22,000 crore.

In roads&highways DSCL's Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway project was worth Rs 950 crore, the KMP Expressway worth Rs 1,800 crore; in Railways the first BOT project with Viramgam-Mahesana Gauge Conversion was worth Rs 90 crore and now the Attur-Salem Gauge conversion Project is worth Rs 61.48 crore.

''We are hopeful of bagging even more challenging, large infrastructure projects in the future,'' Mr Narula added.

It is proposed that the power generated from the Kutehr project will be transmitted through a 400 KV double circuit transmission line at a cost of Rs 45 crore which will be 23 KM long from Kutehr power house to Hibra (Chamera III) power.

DSCL, which has over Rs 9,000 crore worth projects under execution in the highways, expressways, railways&hydro power, is now actively pursuing privatisation of airports&power projects (APPs), SEZs&real estate development.

UNI RA PV BD1750