7 August, 2011

NTPC, which is yet to commission its first hydro power project, has chalked out ambitious plans of investing about Rs. 100,000 crore over a decade for the execution of a 9,750-mw hydro-electric power project in Arunachal Pradesh.

“We are talking to the Arunachal Pradesh government for setting up the 9,750 mw Upper Siang project in the state,” NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhury said.

NTPC was asked to prepare a pre-feasibility report on the 9,750-MW project by the power sector planning body Central Electricity Authority and the company has completed that report. It is currently in the process of preparing a detailed project report for the same.

The investment for the project will be spread over 10 years or the construction time of the project. Around Rs. 10 crore is incurred for producing 1 mw of hydro power.

At present, NTPC is constructing 1,700 mw hydropower projects, of which the 800 mw Koldam project at Himachal Pradesh will become operational during the next financial year (2011-12). NTPC is also involved in the preparation of DPR for the 620 MW Amochhu hydro-electric project in Bhutan.

Site specific surveys and investigations are under process and the detailed project report (DPR) is in advanced stages of finalisation. NTPC currently generates over 34,000 MW from all sources of energy and plans to another 5,000 MW by the end of this fiscal (2011-12)