Kameng Hydro Electric Project Units Ready for Commissioning: NEEPCO
Our Correspondent
Itanagar: Two units of the ongoing Kameng Hydro Electric Project (HEP) with a capacity of 150 mega watt each, are slated for commissioning by November this year.
This was revealed during the 43rd annual general meeting (AGM) of NEEPCO held at New Delhi recently, official sources informed here on Friday.
Addressing the shareholders in the meeting, Chairman & Managing Director of NEEPCO VK Singh highlighted the achievements of the company during the year 2018-19.
The company’s nine operational plants with 34 units and one solar power plant generated 6104 million units during 2018-19.
The company earned Rs 451.58 crore as profit before tax – a 12.14 per cent increase over previous year. The gross operating margin has registered an increase of 38.72 per cent from Rs 623.08 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 864.36 crore in 2018-19.
The company’s dividend payout to the Centre is Rs 107 crore.
Situated in West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh, the project, with a total installed capacity of 600 mega watt, is a run-of-the river scheme which would utilize the flows from Bichom and Tenga Rivers, both tributaries of Kameng River, over a gross head of 536 m available in downstream of the confluence of the River Bichom with Kameng.
The Project comprises of two dams - Bichom and Tenga and water is transported through a Head Race Tunnel (HRT) and HPT / Penstock into the Kimi Power House for driving four Vertical Frances Turbines of 150 mega watt of 150 MW each.
The design energy of the project is 3353 MU in 90 per cent dependable year with 95 per cent machine availability.
The CCEA clearance of the project was obtained in December 2004 at Rs 2496.90 crore with a time of completion of 5 years. However owing to a range of factors, beyond the control of NEEPCO including, major design change of primary structures, geological surprises, devastating flash floods, contractual issues, law and order problems, the Kameng Hydro Electric Project commissioning of the project has been delayed.
Due to the time over-run, the project cost has also gone up and the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of the project has been appraised at Rs. 6179.96 crore.