Hydropower development in India utilizes water from dams and rivers to generate electricity, contributing 15.28% of the total power capacity as of May 2015. India's hydropower potential is substantial, estimated at 150,000 MW, but only 84,044 MW is deemed economically viable, highlighting the need for further investment in this renewable resource. The document discusses historical development, current capacity, advantages, challenges, and the significance of hydropower in India's energy mix.

1. Hydropower Development in INDIA…
Prepared by
Prof. S. G. Taji
Dept. of Civil Engineering
S.R.E.S’s Sanjivani College of Engineering,
Kopargaon

2. What is Hydro-Power????
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 Hydropower (or hydro energy) is a form of renewable
energy that uses the water stored in dams, as well as
flowing in rivers to create electricity in hydropower plants.
 Like other forms of electricity generation, hydropower uses
a turbine to generate electricity; using the energy of falling
or flowing water to turn the blades.
 The rotating blades spin a generator that converts the
mechanical energy of the spinning turbine into electrical
energy.
 The amount of electricity generated from each power plant
depends on the quantity of the flowing water and the height
from which it falls.

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4. History of Development
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 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 to mark the development of hydropower
in India, almost in pace with the world’s first
hydro-electric station in the United States
 At Present the biggest capacity plant is a run
of river Tehri Dam Hydro project of 2400 MW
in Uttarakhand

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6. Current Status & Potential
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 As on 31st May 2015 , the total installed generating capacity of
Power in India is 2,72,502.95 MW out of which Hydro Power
accounts for merely 15.28% (41632.43 MW). (334 GW in Jan 2018)
 The percentage of Hydro Power has come down from 45% in 1970 to
16% in 2014.
 Today the ratio is about 15:85 which is too less as to have efficient
and balance grid for operation of all types of plants.
 The total hydroelectric power potential in the country is assessed at
about 150,000 MW, of which Economic Potential works out to
84,044 MW at a Peak Load Factor of 60%

7.  All India Generating Installed Capacity (MW) (As
on 31st May 2015)
 Thermal- 70%
 Hydro- 15%
 Nuclear- 2%
 RE Sources- 13%
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Prepared by: Prof. Taji S. G.
Thermal
70%
Nuclear
2%
Hydro
15%
Other
13%

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 India is endowed with rich hydropower potential;
it ranks 5th in the world in terms of usable
potential.
 This is distributed across six major river
systems:
i. The Indus,
ii. Brahmaputra,
iii.Ganga,
iv. The central Indian river systems, and
v. The east and west flowing river systems of south
India.
 The Indus, Brahmaputra and Ganga together
account for nearly 80% of the total potential.

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 In addition, pumped storage sites with an
aggregate capacity to the tune of 94,000 MW
have also been identified, but only about 5,000
MW have so far been developed.
 The assessment of small hydro (up to 25 MW)
potential has indicated nearly 10,000 MW
distributed over 4,000 sites.
 It is estimated there is still an unidentified
small hydro potential of almost 5,000 MW.

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 Region wise total hydro power potential
(84044 MW) is as follows:
 North : 30155 MW
 East : 5590 MW
 South : 10763 MW
 West : 5679 MW
 North – East : 31857 MW

12. Necessity of HP Development
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 It has been estimated that in order to support a
growth rate of the gross domestic product (GDP)
of around 7% per annum, the rate of growth of
power supply needs to be over 10% annually.
 India is ranks 5th in the world in terms of usable
potential.
 Less than 15% has been developed or taken up for
development
 Thus, hydropower is one of the potential sources for
meeting the growing energy needs of the country.

13. Necessity of HP Development
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 Indian rivers carry more than two third of their annual flow
in three monsoon months. Can we afford to waste the bulk
of the Energy of water by letting it flow down the drain
unutilized in the monsoon months?
 We are wasting this huge amount of water flowing continuously
which can be converted to energy.
 Dams and reservoirs are designed to last over hundred
years. Which other type of energy source has such a long
life?
 Hydropower provide us inexpensive energy.
 Therefore, to meet country’s energy demand at a faster pace and
make up for the long time, development of Mega hydropower
projects is essentially required.

14. Necessity of HP Development
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 With the continuous extraction of fossil fuels,
the sources are getting depleted fast
 A judicial mix of hydropower in the energy
portfolio can also contribute to energy security,
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, meeting
the peak demand and also increased flexibility in
grid operation.
 Besides, projects may also be conceived as multi-
purpose ones contributing not only to power but
also to irrigation, flood control, navigation, etc.

15. Advantages of HP
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 No fuel requirement
 Flexible – Use whenever you want
 Environment friendly & Non Polluting
 Spontaneous starting, stopping and load
variation ability
 Multipurpose Hydro power projects
 Longer useful plant life
 Lower operational cost
 Low maintenance

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 High initial cost
 Long gestation period
 Safety
 Environmental Consequences
 Depends upon natural flow of rivers
 Require large area
Disadvantages of HP

17. Comparison
17 Factor Hydro Power Thermal Power Nuclear Power
Principle of
operation
Potential energy of
water is converted to
Kinetic energy
Modified Rankine
Cycle
Thermonuclear
fission
Location
Usually in a hilly
area at high altitude
located at a site
where coal, water
and
transportation
facilities are
available easily
Located away from
heavily populated
areas
Fuel Used Water Coal (mostly) or oil Uranium (U235)
Availability
of Fuel
Availability of water
is unreliable
because it depends
on the weather
(rainfall.)
Available across
the world but coal
is non-renewable
and limited
Deposits of
nuclear fuel are
present all over
the world

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Factor Hydro Power Thermal Power Nuclear Power
Requirement of
Space
Very large space
required
large space due to
coal storage,
turbine, boiler and
other auxiliaries
Requires
minimum space
Initial Cost of
Plant
Very high Lower than HP
and NP
Highest
Running Costs
Zero Higher than HP
and NP
Small amount of
fuel used, Low
Efficiency 85% to 90% 30%-32% 55% - 60%
Maintenance
Costs
Low High Very high. Skilled
personnel are
needed
Start-up Power
& time
0.5% to 1% of unit
capacity
Less
About 10% of unit
capacity.
Large
7% to 10% of unit
capacity
Life Time 50 to 100 years 30 - 40 years 40-60 years.
Cleanliness
Clean.
Does not create
any hazardous
effect
Producing smoke
and ash
Greenhouse gases
Acid rain
Radioactive waste
is produced.
Disposal of this
affect environment

19. Challenges/Barriers in Development
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 Longer gestation period and capital intensive
nature of the projects
 Dearth of good contractors
 Inter-state aspects
 Environmental impact
 Rehabilitation issues
 Valuation of forestland based on net present
value
 Land acquisition problems
 Geological surprises
 Public awareness

20. Case Study – Tehri Dam
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 Tehri Dam, the only storage dam in Ganga basin
 The Tehri dam is the highest dam in India, 2nd highest in
Asia and 8th highest in the world
 Tehri dam has been the object of protest by
environmentalists as well as by local people of the region
 There were concerns about the environment consequences of
locating a large dam in the fragile eco-system of the
Himalayan Foot hills
 The Tehri dam is located in the Central Himalayan Seismic
Gap, a major geological fault zone
 The dam has been designed to withstand an earthquake of
8.4 magnitudes

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 Installed capacity in the region: 2,400 MW
 Annual energy availability for peaking : 5.22 billion
units
 Additional irrigation : 2.7 lac hectares
 Stabilization of existing irrigation : 6.04 lac hectares
 Additional generation in downstream projects : 200 GWh
 Drinking water for Delhi : 300 cusecs which will
meet the requirement of about 40 Lac people

22. Place of Hydro-Power in Power
System
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 Hydropower is the only major source in power mix of
country, which would be major base load sharing source
in the mix.
 However, this is not the case due to:
 Load sharing ought to be maximum when natural river flow is
maximum and vice versa
 Since hydropower can be switched on in matter of minutes, it is
naturally more suited for intermitten operation and hence ideal
for daily peaking purposes. Nuclear and thermal more suited for
seasonal on-off.
 If hydropower is mainly for lighting purpose in rural areas, small
hydro plants can be run for limited hours, if they are stand alone
mode i,.e. off-grid

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Pumped
Storage
Hydro
Nuclear
Thermal
Place of Hydro-Power in Power
System