BHEL wraps up NHPC’s Kishanganga hydro power plant in Jammu & Kashmir

BHEL has fully commissioned the INR5783.17 crore ($864 million) Kishanganga hydro power plant in Jammu & Kashmir, owned by NHPC, by placing the third 100MW unit into operations.

The three units, each of 110MW, are now into operations, with a capability of generating 1,350 million units of clean electricity annually.

The Kishanganga hydro power plant is located in Bandipora district on River Kishanganga, a tributary of the Jhelum River, and is covered by the Indus Waters Treaty signed by India with its neighbor Pakistan.

Power generated from the Kishanganga hydropower project will benefit various states in India, particularly Jammu and Kashmir which will get a free share of 12% of the total electricity.

The Kishanganga hydropower plant generates hydro power by diverting water from River Kishanganga to the underground power house through a 23.25km long head race tunnel.

In March, BHEL and NHPC commissioned units 1 and 2 of the 330MW Kishanganga hydro power project in the space of eight days.

Upstream view of the dam of the Kishanganga hydro power plant. Photo courtesy of NHPC Ltd.

NHPC stated on the commissioning of the third unit of the Kishanganga hydro power plant as: “The third unit (110MW) of the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project (3 x 110MW) of NHPC at Bandipora, Jammu & Kashmir has been successfully synchronised with the grid and has also achieved its rated full load successfully at 23:58 Hrs on 30.03.2018.

“This marks the commissioning of all three units of Kishanganga Project, as the first and second units have already been commissioned on 13th March and 21st March 2018 respectively.”

BHEL supplied the electro-mechanical package for the Kishanganga hydro power project under a INR 495 crore (then $107 million) contract given by NHPC in 2010.

As per the contract, the Indian government owned power equipment manufacturer had supplied the vertical shaft pelton turbines apart from executing other electro-mechanical works.

The construction-related work of the Kishanganga hydro power plant was executed by Hindustan Construction Company and Halcrow Group under a Rs27.26 billion ($40 million) EPC contract given by NHPC in 2009.