Bhel’s first unit of Kishanganga HEP in J&K goes on stream

Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) has successfully commissioned the first 110 MW generating unit of the 330 MW Kishanganga Hydro-Electric Project (HEP) in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), which was developed by NHPC.

Located on the river Kishanganga, a tributary of the river Jhelum, in Bandipora district of J&K, the three units of Kishanganga HEP on being commissioned, will be able to generate 1,350 million units (MU) of clean electricity annually. The balance two units are also in advanced stages of commissioning.

Bhel was entrusted with execution of the Electro-Mechanical (E&M) package for the project comprising design, manufacture, supply, installation and commissioning of vertical shaft pelton turbines and matching synchronous generators, controls & monitoring (SCADA) system along with electrical and mechanical auxiliaries.

The equipment was supplied from Bhel’s manufacturing units at Bhopal, Jhansi, Rudrapur and Bengaluru while the execution of works on site was carried out by the company’s Power Sector Northern Region division and Transmission Business Group.

In J&K, Bhel has so far commissioned 31 hydro sets with a cumulative capacity of 1,257 MW. Bhel is at present executing hydroelectric projects of more than 2,900 MW in the country and 2,940 MW in Bhutan which are under various stages of implementation.

Significantly, more than 500 hydro electric generating sets of various ratings have been ordered so far on Bhel in India and abroad, with a cumulative capacity of more than 29,000 MW. Of these, equipment for about 5,700 MW generating capacity is for overseas projects. Bhel’s hydro plants are successfully and efficiently performing in India and across the world, including at Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nepal, Rwanda, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand and Vietnam.