SHILLONG, Oct 21: The state government will sign an agreement with the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) for the development of two hydropower projects.
The idea is to generate 150 MW of power and avail 13% of total output for free.
“An agreement for two hydropower projects – one of 50 MW and another of 100 MW – will be signed between the state government and the NEEPCO on October 25,” an official of the NEEPCO, who did not wish to be named, said.
According to him, NEEPCO will carry out an investigation at the Umtrew river basin in Mawsynram and prepare the detailed project report and the pre-feasibility report. Thereafter, it will look for the cost techno commercial viability.
“We are trying to take the basin with the best intention to develop it with optimal use of the resources,” the official said, adding, hydropower projects bring enormous benefit to people and the same can be expected of the two projects.
According to DIPR website, influenced directly by the south-west monsoon, the state has an average annual rainfall of 12,000 mm.
With all the rivers being monsoon-fed, the river basin of Meghalaya has a potential of about 3,000 MW of hydropower of which only 11.8% has been tapped.
To meet its peak power demands, the state depends on the hydropower plant of the Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation and the central generating stations such as those of NTPC Limited and NEEPCO Ltd. The state operates eight hydroelectric power plants with a rated capacity of 355 MW and draws 228 MW from the central generating stations.
