Development of Ratle Hydro Electric Project (810 MW) on River Chenab (J&K)-A Brief

Ratle Hydro Electric project located on River Chenab in J&K state of India is planned to be developed as Run of the river scheme. It is located down stream of Dulhasti Project and Upstream of Baghlihar Project near the village Drabshala in Kishtwar District. This is a very compact scheme involving a Concrete Gravity Dam of 133 m height above deepest foundation level with 189.5m crest length. It submerges an area of 2.03 km² only at FRL. It has an underground power house having four units of 195 MW each and in addition a 30 MW plant, totaling an installed capacity of 810 MW. The other features of the project are upstream and downstream coffer dams, two numbers of 11.0 m dia. circular diversion tunnels having a length of 555m and 460m respectively, four numbers of 6.6 m dia steel lined pressure shafts and one number 3 m dia steel lined pressure shaft, a Transformer Cavern to house 14 single phase Transformers, an Underground surge chamber with draft tube gate operation chamber, four numbers of Circular Tail race tunnels of 8.6 m dia & one number 4.7m dia., switchyard and associated equipments. The installed capacity of the plant is 780 MW with four units of 195 MW each and one unit of 30MW, thereby making the total capacity of the plant as 810 MW (780 + 30MW). The reservoir has a gross storage of 78.71 M.cum at FRL (El.1029 m) & 60.28 M.cum at MDDL (El.1019.15 m). The average river bed level at the dam site is at El. 920 m. All works including Underground powerhouse are proposed on the right bank of the river near village Drabshala. The total design energy works out to 2976.5 MU. The project was allotted to GVK Ratle Hydro Electric Project Pvt. Ltd. (GVKRHEPP Ltd.) on tariff based Competitive Bidding Route on BOOT basis. This is the first project to be developed on PPP Model in India. GVK Ratle Hydro Electric Project Pvt. Ltd. (GVKRHEPP Ltd.) a group company of GVKPIL has been awarded 810 MW Ratle Hydro Electric Project on the Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir State through tariff based competitive bidding in May 2010 for implementation of the Ratle HE Project on BOOT basis for 35 years.