Chamba (Himachal Pradesh) [India], February 21 : Renewable energy is the most important among the current sources of energy. The projects specifically being carried out by NHPC in hilly states are not only meeting electricity needs but also accelerating infrastructure development. One such major project is the Chamera-1 Hydro Power Station, located in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the five power stations under NHPC's Banikhet regional office.
This 540-megawatt station has an underground powerhouse, operating through three units, each with a capacity of 180 megawatts. Its Construction began in 1984 and was completed the same year. Talking to ANI, Power Station Head Shiv Prasad Rathore said, "Since its commissioning, it has been generating more power than its design energy. Its design energy is 1,664 million units per year. We achieved our this year target in the month of August itself. So far, we have generated more than 2,500 million units."
Rathore added, "We supply electricity to about nine northern Indian states through long-term PPAs. Himachal Pradesh, being the home state, receives 12 percent free power from us." Other states receiving power from this station include Chandigarh (4%), Delhi (8%), Haryana (16%), Jammu & Kashmir (4%), Punjab (10%), Rajasthan (20%), Uttarakhand (3%), and Uttar Pradesh (20%) of the total power generation.
The project features a 121-meter-high concrete gravity dam and a large reservoir spread over 9.5 square kilometers, with a total capacity of 391 million cubic meters. Rathore explained, "This power station was built through the G-Canada consortium. It was a new technology at that time. One of the special features of this project is its GIS switchyard, which was installed here for the first time in India."
When asked how a three-decade-old unit is keeping pace with new technology, the station head said, "Compared to other projects, Chamera-I has very few breakdowns. There are several reasons for this. One is that it has a French turbine-runner, which is highly effective in handling silt-laden Himalayan waters. This can be understood from the fact that since the start of operations, the turbine has been removed for servicing for the first time only recently."
He also said, "With changing times, we are adopting every technological advancement. We are fully preparing to adopt Artificial Intelligence as well. Although the work is currently at the initiative stage, whatever steps are being taken at the corporate level in this direction will benefit us here at Chamera-I too."
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