Construction of 2GW hydropower project in India greenlighted

The construction is expected to cost $2.8b.

Indian state-run hydropower company NHPC has received all necessary regulatory approvals to develop the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri power project in India. The construction is expected to start in October 2019 and could last 3.5 years for a total expenditure of INR 200bn (US$2.8bn). The construction of the Subansiri hydropower project initially started in 2006 but came to a halt in 2011 due to various problems. Located near North Lakhimpur on the border of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, the dam has been conceived to resist seismic activity up to a magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale.

The Indian hydropower sector is facing significant competition from thermal power plants from wind and solar. Large hydro projects are currently not entitled to the same benefits and incentives as smaller ones. The share of hydropower in India’s total power capacity stood at 13 % in 2018.

This article was originally published by Enerdata.