Centre okays 210 MW power project on Sutlej in Himachal

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 4

The Union Government today approved the 210 MW Luhri Stage-I hydroelectric project on the Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh with an approved investment of Rs 1,810.56 crore. Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) would implement it on the Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (BOOM) basis in the next five years.The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the project is located on the Sutlej in Shimla and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh and on completion, it would generate 758.20 million units of electricity annually.

The minister said that the SJVNL had been assigned the project on the BOOM basis, as the company had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Himachal Pradesh Government during the Rising Himachal Global Investors’ Meet in 2019. “Both Union Government and Himachal Government will offer active support to the project with the former providing a grant of Rs 66.19 crore for the enabling infrastructure,” he added.

“The Luhri Stage-I Hydroelectric Project shall be commissioned within 62 months. The power generated from the project will help in providing grid stability and improve the power supply position. Besides adding valuable renewable energy to the grid, the project will also lead to reduction of 6.1 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide from the environment annually, thus contributing to improvement in air quality,” Javadekar said.

The construction of the project would result in direct and indirect employment to around 2,000 persons and would contribute to the overall socio-economic development of the state, he said. The state would benefit from free power worth around Rs 1,140 crore from the hydropower plant during its project life cycle of 40 years.

He added that the families affected by the project would be provided with 100 units of free electricity per month for 10 years.

To generate 2,000 jobs

• The project to provide direct and indirect employment to around 2,000 persons
• Will contribute to the overall socio-economic development of the state
• The state to benefit from free power worth around Rs 1,140 crore from the hydropower plant during its project life cycle of 40 years
• Families affected by the project to get 100 units of free electricity per month for 10 years
• The project to generate 758.20 million units of electricity annually