NHPC achieves full commissioning of 800 MW Parbati-II Hydro Project in Himachal Pradesh

NEW DELHI: NHPC Ltd, India's premier hydropower developer, has successfully achieved the commercial operation of the fourth and final unit of the 800 MW Parbati-II Hydroelectric Project in Himachal Pradesh on April 16, 2025, at 00:00 hrs. With this, the long-anticipated national project is now fully operational, reinforcing NHPC’s position as the country's largest green energy utility.

The first three units had entered commercial operation earlier on April 1, 2025. Located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, the project is a run-of-the-river scheme designed to harness the river Parbati’s energy potential. Constructed over more than two decades, the Parbati-II Project is a testament to engineering resilience, having overcome severe natural and geological challenges including cloudbursts, flash floods, and unstable terrain.

A Record-Breaking Engineering FeatThe Parbati-II Project features:

• Installed capacity: 800 MW (4 x 200 MW Pelton turbines)
• Head Race Tunnel (HRT): 31.56 km, the longest hydropower tunnel in India
• Inclined Pressure Shafts: Two tunnels of 1,545.5 m each, the longest in the world built using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM)
• Gross head: 863 m between Pulga (dam site) and Siund (powerhouse site)

The project’s design energy is 3,074 million units (MU) annually, and its commissioning will also enhance generation at the 520 MW Parbati-III project by 1,262 MU per year.

Local Development & Social ImpactNHPC has made significant contributions to the region:

• 12% free power to Himachal Pradesh and an additional 1% for local area development
• 15 bridges and 88 km of roads built in the project area
• ₹112 crore allocated for Local Area Development
• ₹27.83 crore spent on CSR activities
• 1361 persons employed during construction, of whom 1171 were local
• 370 Project Affected Families (PAFs) provided livelihood assistance
• A Kendriya Vidyalaya at Sainj, benefitting 411 local students
• ₹4 crore allocated for Kullu Regional Hospital expansion

Golden Jubilee Milestone for NHPCThe foundation stone of the Parbati-II project was laid on December 12, 1999 by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The project was officially approved in 2002 at a cost of ₹3,919.59 crore, and completed at an estimated final cost of ₹13,045 crore.With the commissioning of Parbati-II, NHPC’s total installed capacity now stands at 8,140.04 MW, which includes:

• 7,771.20 MW from 23 hydropower stations
• 368.84 MW from solar and wind projects
• 1,681.7 MW from joint ventures

NHPC also has a construction portfolio of 9,896.86 MW, including hydro and solar power projects across the country.This commissioning marks a historic milestone in NHPC’s Golden Jubilee year, and underscores its role as a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, in spearheading India’s transition toward a greener and more sustainable energy future.

• By Online Bureau ,
• ETGovernment

• Published On Apr 18, 2025 at 12:57 PM IST