The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), India’s public sector hydro generator, is to focus on five hydroelectric projects in the current and next fiscal years.
The projects under NHPC’s scrutiny are the 800MW Parabati II in Himachal Pradesh; the 710MW Koel Karo project in Bihar; the 510MW Teesta-V in Sikkim, the 300MW Chamera II in Himachal Pradesh; and the 90MW Loktak project in Manipur.
The projects were assigned to NHPC by the Indian Government while it was formulating the new hydro power policy which was announced in August 1998. Assurance was given that the federal government will give financial assistance for this task.
All five projects are still in the early stages and NHPC hopes to finish pre-construction activities by the end of 2000. This includes calling for global EPC bids and reaching financial closure. Together the five projects are estimated to cost US$2B.
NHPC has already called on the international private sector for offers for equity partnership in developing one or more schemes. Several offers have now been received and they are currently said to be under evaluation.