The report that tiny Bhutan seeks to be India's hydel partner is good news for sustainability and promises to significantly make up for the declining share of hydroelectric power capacity nationally.
We do need to step-up hydel capacity in areas of steep gradient that would considerably reduce submergence, like the sub-Himalayan region and particularly the northeast, which is hugely water surplus.
It is also welcome that two proposed hydel projects in the Siang river valley in Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly got environmental nod. Note that the two projects — Simang I and II totalling 133 MW — are located on the Simang, the right bank tributary of the river Siang; the Siang valley alone has an estimated 12,450 MW of hydel potential, which, in the north-east as a whole, is well in excess of 50,000 MW, much of it in Arunachal Pradesh.
Overall, a projected 90,000 MW of pumped storage hydel capacity is yet to be tapped. Hydel capacity is not just renewable but also provides the cheapest peaking power.
And peaking load is set to surge in fast urbanising India. Our hydel capacity, meanwhile, has reduced steeply to barely 17% of total power generation capacity and currently adds up to just over 39,000 MW.
A host of policy rigidities seem to come in the way of hydel power. The lack of ready availability of long-term financing does add to project risks. Also, the sheer uncertainty over environmental, forest and other clearances and infrastructural bottlenecks on the ground add to the costs.
Further, while power projects get customs and excise exemption for equipment, 75% of hydel project costs are civil works for which there is no parallel benefit, no accelerated depreciation, and conventional hydel power is not even labelled renewable energy. That is plain anomalous.
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