NHPC Ltd stated the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved an investment of Rs 1,600 crores for “pre-investment activities” for its 2,880 MW Dibang multipurpose project in Arunachal Pradesh. Touted to be India's largest hydro project, and equipped with storage, its cost is expected to be Rs. 31,876.39 crores.
The government-owned corporation stated in a filing to the stock exchanges that the project will be finished nine years after receiving official approval. Flood mitigation is the main goal of the Dibang multifunctional project, which is
envisioned as a storage-based hydroelectric plant. The Lower Dibang Valley district project will produce 11,223 million units of electricity annually. The dam, which will be the tallest in India, will be a 278-meter-tall concrete gravity dam. After the project is finished, the state will receive 12% of the plant's free power, or about 1348 million units annually. NHPC, during the course of the project's 40-year lifespan, Arunachal Pradesh will receive benefits of Rs 26,785 crores in free power and contributions to local area development funds. According to the firm, the Dibang project's construction will probably prevent flooding in a big downstream area.
India has been giving a push to hydro power plants in a bid to increase its clean energy capacities. Arunachal Pradesh has been on the radar because of the large potential of hydro resources. The country is planning another big hydro power project of 11,000 MW capacity on the strategically important Siang River in the state.
NHPC has filed a pre-feasibility report for the Upper Siang Multipurpose Storage project, however it has not yet received approval. By 2030, the government hopes to have 500 GW of installed non-fossil fuel energy capacity. Hydroelectric power plants will be crucial in accomplishing the goal.
