India’s hydropower major NHPC has initiated the process of harvesting wind energy near Salal power station-its profit-making 690-MW flagship project in J&K. The idea is to tap somewhere between eight to 10 MWs at Bidda.

Salal power station.

The energy major that has very strong base in J&K is doing everything to harvest state’s vast power potential. In the last fiscal ending March 2011, its operational projects in J&K contributed more than 47 percent to NHPCs cumulative generations, sources in the state government said.

“NHPC generated and sold 18604 million units in the last financial year and its four power stations here contributed around 8842 million units,” sources in state’s power ministry said.

In the last financial year, NHPC recorded sales turnover of Rs 4046.59 crore while its net profit after deduction of tax reached Rs 2166.67 crore. This is the highest sale turnover and the profit that NHPC has achieved in its history.

Currently NHPC has four power projects operational in the state – Salal, Uri, Dul Hasti and Sewa-II, as it is working overtime to complete four others – Uri-II, Kishanganga, Nimo Bazgo and Chutak.

In fact, Uri-II is expected to be ready by the end of 2011. It has entered into a JV with state run Power Development Corporation and Power Trading Corporation to implement three Chenab basin projects with cumulative installed capacity of 2120 MWs.

The JV has a shareholding of 49:49:2 between NHPC, PDC and PTC. The three projects – 600-MW Kiru, 1000-MW Pakal Dul and 520-MW Kawar involving an investment of over Rs 12,720 crore on BOOM (build, own, operate and maintain) basis – are at various stages of environmental clearance.

J&K under the agreed system gets 12 percent of the entire generation as royalty. More recently, it has started spending an additional one percent on the local area development. In the last financial year, power ministry sources said, J&K got 1061.253 million units power free of cost as royalty as it continued to have first right of purchase over additional 1643.521 million units.

NHPC, on its part, is trying to neutralize adverse publicity by working on some CSR projects. It includes setting up a Hydro Training Institute in Srinagar. Under the National Skill Development Mission, it has already adopted five Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in the state.

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