The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Hydel generation in for a big boost

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Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Hydel generation in for a big boost

Special Correspondent

Eight new projects to be built across Godavari, Krishna in four years

HYDERABAD: Hydel power generation is in for a big upswing in Andhra Pradesh.

If one is to go by the roadmap prepared by the government, eight new hydro-electric projects will be built in four years across the Godavari and the Krishna to add an installed capacity of 2,165 megawatts (MW) to the grid. This will raise the hydel capacity to 5,751 MW, equivalent to the overall capacity of some States from all sources.

A noteworthy aspect is that the government has allotted all these projects to APGenco for execution.

Indications are that the APGenco is mobilising the whopping investment of Rs. 10,825 crore to execute these projects, from it own sources and from outside.

Financial aid

The Power Finance Corporation and other funding agencies have offered liberal assistance considering APGenco’s performance as a result of which the temptation to approach the World Bank has been avoided.

The plan to raise the hydel capacity is part of a larger agenda to increase the State’s installed capacity by 8,945 MW in the next few years with an investment Rs 36,386 crore.

Projects

The eight projects now planned are: Nagarjunasagar Tail-Pond (50 MW), Upper Jurala (234), Lower Jurala 240 MW), Pulichintala (120 MW), all on Krishna and its tributaries, and Polavaram (960 MW), Dummagudem (352 MW) and Singareddypalli (200 MW), which will use Godavari water. With this, the scope for taking up any more hydel stations on the Krishna is ruled out as the river has been heavily exploited.

According to experts, the Godavari, in contrast, can support many hydel power component.

Annually, an estimated massive quantity of 4,000 tmcft (thousand million cubic ft) of water from the Godavari flows into the sea.

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