Power ministry signs MoU with Arunachal Pradesh to revive 12 hydro-electric projects

The stalled 12 hydro power projects will be revived for operations, and is expected to attract investment of about ₹ 1.26 lakh crores to hydro-electric PSUs, boosting economy, employment, and green energy goals.

The government of India and the government of Arunachal Pradesh have come together to rejuvenate and execute 12 stalled hydro-electric power projects in the state. Towards this, memorandums of agreement have been signed in Itanagar on August 12, 2023, wherein 12 hydro-electric projects of cumulative installed capacity of about 11,517 MW have been allotted by the state government, to Hydro PSUs under the power ministry.
Addressing the event, R. K. Singh, the Union Minister for power and New & Renewable Energy R. K. Singh said that implementation of these hydropower projects will contribute immensely to the richness of the state. “The per capita income of the state would become more than that of Maharashtra and Gujarat. All the developed nations including the USA, Canada, Norway etc., have harnessed 80 percent 90 percent of their hydropower potential. In India also, the states which harnessed the potential of hydropower have become prosperous. Hydropower is a green source of energy. Its usage will also increase the ground water level and promote growth of flora and fauna.”
Allotment of these projects to hydro CPSUs is a significant step towards harnessing the immense hydro-electric potential of Arunachal Pradesh. Out of these 12 projects, five projects of 2,620 MW have been allocated by the state government to NEEPCO, five projects of 5,097 MW to Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd and the remaining two projects of capacity 3,800 MW to NHPC.
These projects were earlier allotted to private sector developers about 15 years ago but remained non-starters due to various reasons. The state government therefore decided to rope in central hydro PSUs to give a push to the languishing projects. Development of these projects will contribute towards achieving the declared nationally determined contribution target of achieving 500 GW non-fossil energy capacity of India by 2030. Hydro power will also be an effective contributor to the objective of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2070.
These projects are also expected to create huge employment opportunities in the region and boost the local economy as well as foster skill development and technical expertise in the region. The projects are expected to result in an estimated investment inflow of about ₹1,26,500 crores to the state of Arunachal Pradesh.