Telangana adds 800 MW of hydropower in 9 yrs
As per a study conducted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) during the period 2017-2023, the assessed hydro power potential of Telangana from major and medium schemes (having capacity above 25 MW) stood at 1302 MW.
Hyderabad: The Telangana government, which has been giving top priority to improving the power supply position in the State, has managed to add an additional 800 MW of hydro power in the last nine years.
As per a study conducted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) during the period 2017-2023, the assessed hydro power potential of Telangana from major and medium schemes (having capacity above 25 MW) stood at 1302 MW. Of this, Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs) having a capacity of 800 MW were developed so far.
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Two conventional storage hydro projects of 146 MW and two pumped storage projects of 1606 MW were also planned in the State. The details of the CEA study and storage hydro projects were placed in the recently concluded monsoon session of the Parliament.
According to power department officials, though most major and medium projects in Telangana were commissioned before the formation of the State, commercial generation of hydel power in a few of them started after 2014. For instance, the Priyadarshini Jurala Project or Jurala Project was completed in 1995, but work on the Hydro Electric Project started in 2008, and subsequently entered into commercial operation in 2015.
Similarly, the Dr KL Rao Sagar Pulichintala Project construction began in 2009 and was completed in 2018. The hydel power project construction commenced in 2015 and entered commercial operation in 2016.
Telangana has made rapid strides in the power sector since the State’s formation. In 2014, the total installed capacity was 7,778 MW and in the last nine years, an additional capacity of 9680 MW was added. Currently, the contracted installed power capacity stood at 18,567MW.
Telangana is also at the forefront in solar energy generation too in the country with a contracted capacity of 5,741 MW, with a total renewable capacity of 6,151 MW, whereas it had only 74 MW at the time of formation of the State 10 years ago.
The State government is spending over Rs.50,000 crore on providing subsidies on electricity to 72.41 lakh consumers from household, employment and agriculture sectors.
