02-05-2014, 11:14 AM
HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS DEVELOPMENT: CHALLENGES AND RESPONSE
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INTRODUCTION
Enhancing the level of energy consumption, particularly in less developed and developing countries, is a global challenge. 20% of world population living in industrialised countries consume 60% of energy and remaining 80% of population have to manage within 40% of total energy. This has obviously resulted in wide disparities between the standard of living and quality of life of high energy consuming countries on the one hand and those who do not have the opportunities of adequate access to energy on the other. It is precisely for this reason that development of different sources of energy and increase in its consumption has become a priority agenda of all the developing countries.
2. Various countries have adopted their own strategies to provide energy to their people. In the context of electric power, as an important form of energy, the thermal and hydroelectric power on a global basis, have occupied the largest proportion. Within the thermal group, coal based power stations occupy dominant position. However, this varies from country to country. The Gas based combined cycle power stations in number of countries occupy a significant proportion. Similarly, nuclear power stations have also increased and have been adding large amount of capacity to the thermal group. During last 30 years, Hydroelectric power generation has, as a matter of fact, reduced from 21% in 1973 to less than 17% in 2000. During the same period, coal based generation marginally increased from 38% to 39%, gas increased substantially from 12% to 17.4% and nuclear witnessed a very steep rise from 3.3% to 16.9%. Obviously concerted efforts are required to develop Hydroelectric capacities
50,000 MW Hydroelectric Initiative
Apart from over 14,000 MW capacity addition which has been planned to be operational during the period 2002-2007, a 50,000 MW Hydroelectric Initiative has been launched by the Prime Minister of India in May, 2003. This initiative has started with the preparation of feasibility report and detailed project report. 162 hydroelectric schemes have been identified with an aggregate installed capacity of 50,560 MW. They are located in sixteen States of the country. Of these, 106 schemes aggregating to about 39,000 MW are located in only four States namely Arunachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. These projects under this Initiative are proposed to be taken up for execution during 11th & 12th Plans i.e. between 2007-2017. All the preparatory works from Feasibility Report to Detailed Project Report and also in many cases infrastructural development should have been done before that.