In a significant push towards sustainable energy and regional development, the Indian government has unveiled a comprehensive plan with an investment of Rs 6.4 lakh crore (approximately $77 billion) to generate 76 gigawatts (GW) of hydroelectric power in the Northeastern states. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) announced the plan on Monday, outlining a detailed strategy to harness the untapped potential of the Brahmaputra basin by 2047.
The ambitious plan includes the development of 208 large hydro projects across 12 sub-basins in the Northeast. These projects are projected to contribute 64.9 GW of potential capacity, with an additional 11.1 GW expected from pumped-storage plants. The Brahmaputra River, which originates in Tibet and flows through India and Bangladesh, holds significant hydro potential within its Indian stretch, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh near the Chinese border. The basin spans across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, and West Bengal, holding over 80% of India's untapped hydro potential, with Arunachal Pradesh alone accounting for 52.2 GW.
The CEA's report emphasizes the necessity of a comprehensive transmission system to evacuate power from the Brahmaputra basin. A master plan has been formulated to evacuate 65 GW of hydroelectric generation capacity from 12 sub-basins. This involves building a network of over 31,000 circuit kilometers of transmission lines and installing 68 gigavolt-amperes (GVA) of transformation capacity. Additionally, the plan includes building 42 GW of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) carrying capacity.
The project will be implemented in two phases. Phase one, slated to be completed by 2035, will require an investment of Rs 1.91 lakh crore, while phase two is estimated to cost Rs 4.52 lakh crore. The CEA's plan also incorporates projects allocated to central public sector utilities like NHPC, NEEPCO, and SJVN, with some already in the pipeline.
This initiative is crucial for India to meet its growing electricity demand and transition away from fossil fuels. The government aims to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil power generation capacity by 2030 and become net-zero by 2070.
The project also addresses strategic concerns related to China's construction of dams on the Brahmaputra, which could potentially impact downstream water flow into India. There are concerns that a Chinese dam on the Yarlung Zangbo (the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra) could reduce dry-season flows on the Indian side by up to 85 percent.
