(Seminar on Private Sector Participation in Hydropower Development, 1-9 May, 2002 pp. PP 1-DP 5)
Hydropower represents use of water resources towards inflation free energy due to absence of fuel cost with mature technology characterized by highest prime moving efficiency and spectacular operational flexibility. Out of the total power generation installed capacity in India of 1,34,942 MW (July, 2007), hydro power contributes about 25% i.e. 33,711 MW. A capacity addition of 78,577 MW is envisaged from different conventional sources during 2007–2012 (the 11th Plan), which includes 16,553 MW from large hydro projects. In addition to this, a capacity addition of 1400 MW is expected from small hydro upto 25 MW station capacity.
India has a history of about 110 years of hydropower. The first small hydro project of 130 kW commissioned in the hills of Darjeeling in 1897 mark the development of hydropower in India. The Sivasamudram project of 4500 kW was the next to come up in Mysore District of Karnataka in 1902, for supply of power to the Kolar gold mines. Following this, there was number of small hydro projects set up in various hilly areas of the country. Till independence (1947), the country had an installed capacity of 1362 MW, which included 508 MW hydropower projects, mainly small and medium size projects. A planned development of hydropower projects in India started only in the post independent era, The focus was laid on large-scale power generation through big hydro, thermal and nuclear route. First 50 years after independence saw a capacity addition of 85,019 MW including 21,644 MW of hydropower stations, most of them were being large hydro. Since the development was mainly in the Central sector and the State Electricity Boards (SEBs) were more or less tuned to the central planning system, relatively less importance was given to small projects. In late 80’s, it was realized that the development of Small Hydro Power (SHP) potential has remain largely untapped as the focus was on large-scale power generation. In order to provide focused attention to small size projects, the subject of small hydro was brought under the purview of renewable energy.
The decade of 90s saw a firm footing for the development of small hydro in India. A comprehensive programme for exploitation of its potential was built. Demonstration projects were supported throughout the country with new technical and engineering concepts to harness small, medium and high heads for SHP projects in hills as well as canals. R&D projects and a dedicated center namely Alternate Hydro Energy Centre (AHEC) at University of Roorkee (now IIT, Roorkee), to provide technical support to the small hydro sector were supported. Database of potential SHP sites or small rivers and canals was concurrently developed. A pre-investment study was carried out under the auspices of the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) jointly supported by UNDP and World Bank with an objective to prepare an investment program to develop irrigation/canal based hydro schemes. Alongside, manufacturing base for SHP equipment was strengthened.
