Rongnichu hydro electric plant : Sarda Energy & Minerals set to begin commercial operations of unit 1

Sarda Energy & Minerals has secured clearance for starting commercial operations of unit 1 of the 113MW Rongnichu hydro electric plant in Sikkim, India.

The clearance was granted to the company’s subsidiary – Madhya Bharat Power Corporation Limited for the 56.5MW unit under Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Indian Electricity Grid Code) Regulations, 2016.

It comes after the successful completion of trial operations after showing the continuous operation at full load for 12 hours and testing for 10% overload, that is 62.15MW, on 25 June 2021, said Sarda Energy & Minerals.

The flagship company of Sarda Group said that the test run of unit 2 of the Rongnichu hydro electric plant is moving ahead satisfactorily.

Sarda Energy & Minerals set to begin commercial operations of unit 1 of Rongnichu hydro electric plant in Sikkim. Photo courtesy of soukmano from Pixabay.

The Rongnichu hydropower plant has been built on the Rongnichu river near Gangtok in East Sikkim, close to State Highway NH31A.

Madhya Bharat Power Corporation Limited is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) created by Sarda Energy & Minerals for the execution of the hydropower plant in Sikkim.

The civil works of the Rongnichu hydro electric plant were carried out by Moshvaraya Infrastructure, while the electro-mechanical works for turbine and its auxiliaries were executed by Slovenia-based Litostroj Power.

The generator and its auxiliaries of the hydropower project in Sikkim were delivered by CG Electric Systems Hungary, while the hydro mechanical works were performed by Texmaco Rail & Engineering and Chhattisgarh Metaliks & Alloys.