Arunachal Pradesh inks MoAs with three CPSUs for 12 hydro projects

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ITANAGAR: Amidst stiff opposition from various organisations, Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday inked memoranda of agreement (MoAs) with three central public sector undertakings (CPSUs) for the development of 12 stalled hydro projects in the northeastern state. Union Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his deputy Chowna Mein, along with officials from the central and state governments, and CMDs of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO), and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) were also present on the occasion. State Power Commissioner Ankur Garg signed the MoAs on behalf of the government, while SJVN CMD Nand Lal Sarma, NHPC technical director Biswajit Basu, and NEEPCO technical director Ranendra Sharma signed the MoAs on behalf of the CPSUs. Out of the projects, five projects with an installed capacity of 2626 MW have been allocated to NEEPCO, while another five projects with a 5097 MW installed capacity were awarded to SJVN and two projects with a 3800 MW capacity were awarded to NHPC, respectively.

An estimated investment of Rs 1,42,000 crore would be made while executing the projects in the state, according to official sources. The projects, with a total installed capacity of 11,517 MW, were initially allotted to independent power developers but remained stalled due to various reasons. The state government decided to rope in central PSUs to give a push to the languishing projects. Speaking on the occasion, Union Power Minister R K Singh termed the occasion historic’ and said that Arunachal Pradesh would become the richest state in the country after the commissioning of all the projects. He urged the CPSUs to start work on the project genuinely and assured that out of the total 12 projects, work on at least 7 to 8 projects would start in March next year.

"Signing of the MoAs and allotment of the projects to CPSUs will prove to be a significant step towards harnessing the immense hydroelectric potential of Arunachal Pradesh. The development of these projects will contribute towards achieving the declared Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target of non-fossil energy capacity in India to reach 500 GW by 2030," the minister said. He added that hydropower would be an effective contributor to the objective of net zero carbon emissions by 2070, and the projects are expected to create huge employment opportunities in the region and boost the local economy, as well as foster skill development and technical expertise. The five projects allotted to NEEPCO are located in Shi-Yomi district of the state, including the 240 mw Heo project, Tato-I (186 mw), Hirong (500 mw), Tato-II (700 mw), and the Naying project with an installed capacity of 1000 mw. The projects allotted to SJVN include 420 MW Amulin, 500 MW Emini, 400 MW Mihundon, 3097 MW Etalin, and 680 MW Attunli, respectively. All these projects are situated in the Dibang Valley district. The 1800 mw Kamala project in Kamle district and the 2000 mw Subansiri Upper project in Upper Subansiri district are allotted to power giant NHPC. Khandu, while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Power Minister Singh, said that the projects would provide a tremendous boost to the growth and development of the state and would augment the country’s energy security through clean and green energy. He exhorted the stakeholders to implement the projects in mission mode in the overall interest of the state and the nation and assured them that there would be no problems from the locals while executing the projects.

Mein, who also holds the power portfolio, informed the audience in his address that the state would earn around Rs 3052 crore annually from the 12 per cent free power component of the projects. "Additionally, we will also earn Rs 254 crore annually under the local area development fund," the deputy chief minister said, adding that the projects would be developed in partnership with the state government, which would have a 26 per cent equity share. "The dividends from the equity participation will further augment the state’s earnings from the projects," he added.

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