Saturday, April 14, 2012

Lame Duck Hydro Power Projects in HP, J&K & UK(C)
April14, 2012
Honorable Prime Minister of India,
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Cc to Honorable Chief Minister of HP
Shri Prem Singh Dhumal
Honorable Chief Minister of J&K
Shri Umar Abdullah,
Honorable Chief Minister of UttarKhand
Shri Vijay Bahuguna,

Respected Sir,

Executive Summary: - When dams are backbone of any civilization – Storing Water for Irrigation, Municipal Supplies and Industry, Generating Power, Flood Control, Recreation, Navigation, Fish Production, Road Bridges and House Boats etc., Dam being built in our hill states with tremendous hydro power potential are Most Expensive Lame Duck Hydro Projects operating or Planned to Operate at less than 39% Load Factor. Satluj River Basin upstream of Bhakra Dam has 105 BU of Electric Energy in Himachal Pradesh – over 140 BU including River Basin in China so at 80% efficiency India should be producing 84 BU to 112 BU (with China Collaboration) of electricity every year. As per latest CEA report Actual Hydro Power Generation on Dams Upstream of Bhakra Dam in Satlej Basin for above average year 2011-12 is 11.5 BU. It is MOST SHOCKING all the SILT carried by Sutlej River is bypassed through all Dams on Sutlej River upstream of Bhakra Dam to be dumped in Bhakra Dam - the primary storage dam on the river and lifeline of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

Apart from doubling tripling cost these ROR projects are built over 10-15 years when Hoover Dam was built in less than 4 years. Indus Water Treaty was Most Damaging for River Basin Development but Dam building in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarkhand states is HORRIBLE. J&K, HP and Uttarkhand ought to produce 60,000MW and annually generate 300 BU of electricity with storage dams and other benefits but Current Generation in these three states is J&K 12.2BU, HP 19.1, UK 5.1BU = 36.4 BU. Since these Lame Duck dams were planned and built Energy Cost has gone up 5-10 times already.

Over 200 years these 60,000 MW ought to be producing 300x200 BU of electricity at $0.10 worth $6Trillion, additional benefits could be say $6Trillion. Losses due to Lame Duck Dams in J&K, HP and UK could be $4 Trillion + $6Trillion.  This is huge loss and calls for ‘Urgent Review of Design and Plans.’

(In this presentation I have explored and quoted Dams Being Built in Satluj Basin essentially because enough projects details are available – but observations are applicable to all Run-Of-River projects in India from NJHP, Baglihar, to KhapHEP etc.)

DETAILS

Last week the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on TV claimed HP will soon have 15,000MW Hydro Power, it was most shocking to me because they are Lame Duck Hydro Projects deprived of all the additional benefits listed above, generating only 40% of Hydro Power potential and produce 75% electricity during Monsoon when least required at lowest price. Though I read over 100 documents just one PFR of Khab-I project - Confirms Above Executive Summary
Facts Of Khab – I HEP

It is admitted in Project Reports that all the Hydro Projects Under Development above Bhakra Dam on Sutlej River are ROR and pass through their Silt in to Bhakra Dam (including 990MW Beas Sutlej Link Project) and generate,  

Ø      39.34% of the Generation Potential and only 13.36% for October-April period.

Ø      75% of it 1245MU in May-September months, and even in 50% dependable year operates at full power for 110 days at 450MW producing 108x11= 1188 MU and rest of 255 days producing 826MU at 134MW. October to April generation is just 306MU operating at 41MW to 103MW average power. (Annex -VII-9-10)

Ø      But when maximum discharge is available These ROR Projects Shut Down for 16 Day Every Year Due To High Silt Carried, Upto 28.5 days In Some Years and this means for high silt period in monsoon instead if full load almost entire Basin System is Shut Down above Bhakra Dam. (Reference RHEP)

Ø      None of the ROR Hydro Projects serves as Storage, Flood Protection, Road Bridge and other benefits.

Ø      Just 20 hectare area was provided to 100MW Sarong Project sacrificed over 50MW Power for minor Environment issue. 50MW loss or 0.3BU of energy loss over 200 year shall be 60BU or $6Billion is a huge loss for few hectares of land that would largely be revived after dam building except the Dam Itself. Comments of No Storage, No Area & Forest Loss and No Population Displaced at the end – looks Foolish considering Huge Economic and Green Power Loss.

Ø      20% of Intake Water is used in ‘Flushing Silt.’

Why Low Yield of Lame Duck Hydro Projects at (LDHP) 39% : -

1.]  LDHP During monsoon season almost 50% of the River Water in absence of storage pass through Flood Gates and Bypass Generating Units.

2.]  Operating head of Nathpa Jhakri project is 428m but head available at the site is 490m between 1495m (Highest Dam Level of NJHP to 1005m Highest Water Level at Rampur HEP.

3.]  Apart from 16 days of normal Shut Down at ROR projects during monsoon floods, 8-10% Annual Generation Lost – 20% of water is required to eject the silt.

Loss Estimation For Three States: - 

4.]  Instead of 300BU of electricity these LDHP shall produce 100BU annually, annual loss @ $0.10 over 200 years shall be $4Trillion.

5.]  Due to Dam Storages and Management even if 20BCM of River Waters of J&K, HP and UK are diverted for Industrial and Municipal supplies at average long term rate of $1 per cubic meter it is worth $20b annually = $4Trillion in 200 years. (Part of the benefits shall accrue to Pakistan and China)

6.]   Flood Protection is very critical Governments underestimates sufferings of people affected by floods – $5b annual loss to economy every year to three states over 200 years is $1 Trillion Loss. Land freed of floods shall be over 2 million hectares in Pakistan, Punjab, Haryana, UK and UP has virtually no value considering the population density of the region.  
REMEDY: -

7.]  J&K, HP, and UK should ‘Abandon The Lame Duck Hydro Projects in favor of Multipurpose Dam Projects that Yield Maximum benefits’.

8.]  India should Collaborate with Pakistan and China in developing full potential of Hydro Projects with maximum storage, generation and flood control benefits. As per Columbia Water Treaty Pakistan ought to contribute for construction and operation of Storage Hydro Projects in J&K and India should contribute for development of Storage Hydro Project in China – details as per Columbia Water Treaty.

9.]  Provide Multipurpose Storage Dams that Captures 100% Inflows in Upper Reaches of Sutlej River and modify Hydro Projects in middle reaches to Use full Sutlej Basin potential.  

Thank you,

Ravinder Singh,
Inventor & Consultant
INNOVATIVE TECHNONLOGIES AND PROJECTS
Y-77, Hauz Khas, NewDelhi-110016, India.
Ph; 091-9910693464, 9718280435
Ravinder Singh* is a WIPO awarded inventor specializing in Power, Transportation, Water, Energy Saving, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Technologies and Projects.

(References)
Khab-I HEP – 39.4% Load Factor, 75% Generation in May- September 

4. POWER POTENTIAL STUDIES –
From the inflow series for 31 years, the year 1997-98 corresponds to 90%
dependable year. The 450 MW (3x150MW) of installed capacity has been proposed for the scheme on the basis of water available in 90% dependable year. The annual energy in 90% dependable year has been assessed as 1551 GWh. with annual load factor of 39.34%, Load factor for monsoon period (May-Sept) has been assessed as 75.34% with generation of 1245 GWh of energy. However the load factor for lean period (Oct.-April) has been assessed as 13.36% with 306 GWh of energy. The design energy for tariff at 95% availability in a 90% dependable year has been worked out as 1512 GWh.

2. SCOPE OF WORK
The Khab-I HE Project envisages construction of: a 69m high straight gravity dam across river Satluj to provide a live storage of about 36.38 Mm3 with FRL at El.2592 m and MDDL at El.2568m. The dam has provision of passing about 5600 cumecs of 10,000 years flood through its 5 Nos (8.5 x 6.5m) sluices provided at El.2550.50m. Central spillway to take care of releases downstream of the Dam during sudden closure of power plant in winter has also been provided. Central spillway shall be capable of passing winter flows and thus avoid operation of sluice radial gates in such eventualities.

HYDROLOGY
Catchments area at dam site. 44,000 Sq km (Approx.)
Average runoff in 90 % dependable year 4413 Mm³
Average runoff in 50 % mean year 7138 Mm³
(At this site average annual flows could be 10,000Mm3)


Energy in Water Between KHEP-1 and Bhakra Full Reservoir Level
14 BCMx2080 (H) x1000/101/3600 = 80 BU
Add to this Energy in Tributaries = 25 BU
Total = 105 BU
At 80% Efficiency = 84 BU

DIVERSION DAM
Jangi Thopan Project
It is proposed to construct a straight gravity type concrete dam, 65 high at Jangi Village to divert 394 cumecs of discharge. Out of this discharge, 79 cumecs is meant for flushing of sediments through the desilting arrangement. With a view to found the dam on sound rock, the foundations of the dam shall be taken to rock bed level of the river. The length of the dam at top shall be 154 m consisting of 85 m as non-overflow section and 69 m as over flow section. The over flow section is designed to pass a maximum flood of 5660 cumes which correspondence to 200 years frequency. The full reservoir level and the minimum draw-down level will be at El 2334 m and 2332 m respectively. The diurnal pondage afforded by the dam would be 457 hectare-metres. The water spread of the reservoir does not involve any rehabilitation problem as the area submerged is barren land without any habitation.

CDM – Rampur HEP 8% Generation Loss in 16 Days Shut Down
The above generation figure has been further adjusted to account for loss in generation that would be experienced during the period in which the upstream NJHPP will be shut down mainly due to silt concentration. The design energy generation of RHEP has thus been estimated by considering a shut down period of 16 days, which is approved by CEA17 (Please refer to Annexure 6- Signing of MoU between Ministry of Power and SJVNL for 2006-07 letter dated 17/01/2006) for Nathpa Jakhri power plant. The design energy of RHEP works out to be 1770 GWh/year as explained below18:

Per day generation considering discharge flows during silting period (July/August): 9.39GWh/day.  Loss due to 16 days shut down: 9.39 GWh/day * 16 days = 150.30 GWh. Hence design energy after considering shut down days = 1919.87-150.30 = 1770 GWh

Satlej Basin above Bhakra Dam – NJHP – 7.6BU + Karcham Wangtoo – 2.5 BU, Baspa – 1.4 = 11.5 BU, J&K 12.2BU, HP 19.1, UK 5.1BU = 36.4 BU

7.23 Maximum discharge of river Sutlej goes up to 10000-12000 cumec and minimum discharge remains in the range of 70-80 cumec. The absolute minimum 10-day flow at the Nathpa dam is 47.4 cumec (see table E-3 below). ??????????????????

Desilting NJHP

The fall of Sutlej from its source in Tibet to the plains of Punjab is very uniform and averages about 6m/km. The height of its bed being 4572 m at Rakshas Lake, 3048 m. near ShipkiLa, 914 m. at Rampur, 500 m. at
Bilaspur and less than 300 m. where it enters plains of Punjab. In Himachal Pradesh it has total length of 400 km. Its annual mean flow is 16,755.33 million cubic meters. >>> The main advantage of this (Fig.2.2) scheme is that since there is no storage reservoir or dam as such there is no impounding of area, no forest loss and zero displacement of population.

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