Hydro Electric Power | Hydro Electric Power Plants | Hydro Power Plant

1. Hydroelectric Power India Moving water had been used for years to provide mechanical energy, but the first small-scale hydroelectric scheme was developed in England in 1878 and the first hydroelectric plant began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1882. India is one of the pioneering countries in establishing hydroelectric power plants with the commissioning of Darjeeling and Shimsha (Shivanasamudra) power plants in 1898 and 1902 respectively and is among the first in Asia to commission hydroelectric power plants. With a potential of estimated 148 GW, in terms of hydroelectric potential, India is fifth in the world. The highest rate of annual growth (11.66%) from 2012-13 to 2013-14 in installed capacity was for Thermal power followed by Hydro Power (2.63%). India has around 41,000 MW of installed hydropower capacity whereas an additional 13,000 MW is under construction. According to a recent report by FICCI and PricewaterhouseCoopers, India may add 13 GW of installed hydropower capacity in due time. A majority of the new development would be in the north eastern part of India, where 93% of potential capacity is yet to be developed. In contrast are the southern and western parts, where about two thirds of capacity has been utilized. According to Ministry of Power, Govt. of India reports, the power sector is distributed as shown below: Fuel Total Thermal Coal Gas Oil Hydro (Renewable) Nuclear RES**(MNRE) Total MW 194, 200 169, 118 24, 088 994 42, 283 5, 780 36, 471 278, 734 %age 69.7 60.7 8.6 0.4 15.2 2.1 13.1 According to the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, small hydro power capacity stands at 4.15 GW at the end of August 2015. Interestingly, 85%- 95% of the energy in water is converted to electricity, compared to 15%-20% for Photo Voltaic solar, 35%- 45% for wind, and 30%-45% for coal. Hydro power projects are zero pollutant, as compared to thermal projects which reportedly contribute to half of global carbon emissions and India relies on thermal power to the extent of 60% of its consumption today.

2. Hydro-power projects are classified on the basis of their generation capacity as follows: a) Pico: 5 kW and below b) Micro: 100 kW and below c) Mini: 2,000 kW and below d) Small: 25,000 kW and below e) Medium: 100,000 kW and below f) Large: above 100,000 kW In the current scenario, the participation of private players in the hydropower sector in various stages of planning, operation, implementation and development is an optimistic sign. Reliance Power, Jindal Power and Gati Infrastructure have unfurled their plans in the Indian hydropower sector. Gati Infrastructure Group was conceived to develop power projects that have renewable and green energy as the focal point and which would contribute towards the economic growth and development of India. Currently, Gati Infratsructure has a portfolio of Hydro Power Projects, Solar Power Projects and Coal Projects with the hydro power projects being Chuzachen Project on Rangpo and Rongli Rivers in East Sikkim producing 110MW, Bhasmey Project on Rangpo River downstream of Chuzachen Project in East Sikkim producing 54 MW and Sada Mangder Project on Rangit and Relli Rivers in West Sikkim producing 71 MW. India has vast potential for hydro-power development ensuring not only the abridgement of gap in demand and supply but also leading to surplus power in the country. Therefore, it is important for the benefit of the nation to harness hydro electricity potential for sustainable development of India. Keywords : Hydro Electric Power | Hydro Electric Power Plants | Hydro Power Plant