Hydroelectric power in India

Shivanasamudra Falls

India is the 7th largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world.[1] As of March 31, 2016, the installed utility scale capacity was 42,783 MW, which was 14.35% of total utility electricity generation capacity in India.[2] In addition, small hydro power units with a cumulative capacity of 4,274 MW have been installed.[3][4] Between 2014 and 2015, the total hydroelectric generation was 129 TWh. The hydroelectric power potential of India is estimated at 84,000 MW at 60% load factor, one of the largest in the world.[5]

India also imports surplus hydro power from Bhutan. The hydro-electric power plants at Darjeeling and Shivanasamudra were established in 1898 and 1902 respectively and were among the first in Asia. India has been a dominant player in global hydro power development.[6]

Hydroelectric potential

Upper Indiravati power house

The economically exploitable and viable hydro potential of India is estimated to be about 148,701 MW.[7][8] In addition, 6,780 MW from small, mini, and micro hydro schemes (with capacity of less than 25 MW) are estimated to be exploitable.[9] 56 sites for pumped storage schemes with an aggregate installed capacity of 94,000 MW have also been identified. The hydro power potential in central India forming part of the Godavari, Mahanadi, Nagavali, Vamsadhara and Narmada river basins has not yet been developed on a major scale due to potential opposition from the tribal population.

The public sector has a dominant share of 92.5% in the hydroelectric sector. National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), Northeast Electric Power Company (NEEPCO), Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), THDC, NTPC-Hydro are some of the public sector companies engaged in development of hydroelectric power in India. The private sector owns about 7.5% out of the total 42,783 MW. This sector is expected to grow faster, however, due to development of potential hydroelectric energy in the Himalaya mountain ranges, including northeast of India.[5] Indian companies have also constructed hydro power projects in Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, and other countries.[5]

Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), a state-owned enterprise in north India, has an installed capacity of 2.9 GW. The generation cost after four decades of operation is about 27 paise (0.40¢ US) per kWh.[10] BBMB is a major source of peaking power and black start to the northern grid in India. Large reservoirs provide operational flexibility. BBMB reservoirs annually supply water for irrigation to 12.5 million acres (51,000 km2; 19,500 sq mi) of agricultural land of partner states, enabling the green revolution in northern India.

Pumped storage units

India has gone from an electricity deficit to an electricity surplus, and pumped storage schemes to store the surplus electricity have the potential to meet peak load demand. They also produce secondary/seasonal power at no additional cost when rivers are flooding with excess water. India has already established nearly 6,800 MW pumped storage capacity due to the installation of hydro power plants.[11]

Pumped storage units can also be used as pumping stations to supply river water for upland irrigation, industrial needs, and drinking water. In a tropical country like India, abundant water is needed for agriculture due to a very high annual evaporation rate. The necessary amount of water to meet this demand can be harnessed from India's rivers via pumped storage units. Food security in India is possible with water security, which in turn is possible with energy security to supply the needed electricity for the water pumping.

More and more solar power generation is made available due to its advantage in terms of cost and environmental impact. Solar power has the capacity to meet daytime energy demands, while pumped storage units could meet nighttime demands.[12] Thus, providing a clean energy solution that works regardless of the time of day. Many of the existing hydro power stations on west-flowing rivers located in Western Ghats of Kerala and Karnataka are already expanding to include pumped storage units in an effort to solve the water deficit of east-flowing rivers like Kaveri, Krishna, etc.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Statistical Review of world energy 2015" (PDF). Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "Power sector at glance". Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "Renewable Energy Physical Progress as on 31-03-2016". Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, GoI. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "All India Installed Capacity of Utility Power Stations" (PDF). Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Hydro Electric Potential in India". Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "India remains dominant player in global hydropower". Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Status of Hydro Electric Potential Development in India" (PDF). Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "Hydropower - Too slow to be steady". Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Govt plans push for hydro power". Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "See page 33, Executive Summary for the Month of May, 2016" (PDF). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  11. ↑ "Pumped storage hydro power plant" (PDF). Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  12. ↑ "Why The Renewables Revolution Is Now Unstoppable". Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  13. ↑ "India readies plan to improve renewable power storage". Retrieved 22 August 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.