Chamera One Hydro Power Station Moves Towards AI-Driven Operations

27 Feb 2026 CW Team

The station has regularly outperformed its design energy of 1,664 million units per year and reached its annual target by August in the most recent cycle, with total generation to date exceeding 2,500 million units. Electricity is supplied to nine northern states under long-term power purchase agreements, with the home state receiving twelve per cent free power. Other allocations include Chandigarh four per cent, Delhi eight per cent, Haryana 16 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir four per cent, Punjab 10 per cent, Rajasthan 20 per cent, Uttarakhand three per cent and Uttar Pradesh 20 per cent. These arrangements underpin a regional grid support role beyond state boundaries.

The project features a 121 metre-high concrete gravity dam and a reservoir spread over nine point five square kilometres, with a total capacity of 391 million cubic metres. The station is reported to have been built by a GE - Canada consortium and introduced a gas insulated switchyard in India for the first time at the site. Its Francis turbine runner has been effective in handling silt-laden Himalayan waters and has contributed to limited breakdowns.

Operational resilience has reduced major interventions, with the main turbine removed for servicing only recently, according to station management. The station is also preparing for technological upgrades and is at an initial stage of adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) for operations, which is expected to be aligned with corporate-level initiatives. Chamera One therefore continues to serve as both a reliable renewable source and a platform for further modernisation.

The Chamera One hydro power station in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, marks three decades of renewable energy operation under National Hydroelectric Power Corporation's Banikhet regional office. It is a 540 megawatt (MW) station with an underground powerhouse operating through three units, each of 180 MW. Construction began in 1984 and was completed in 1994, and the project has become a key element of regional infrastructure. The plant's longevity reflects its original design and siting in the Himalayan catchment. The station has regularly outperformed its design energy of 1,664 million units per year and reached its annual target by August in the most recent cycle, with total generation to date exceeding 2,500 million units. Electricity is supplied to nine northern states under long-term power purchase agreements, with the home state receiving twelve per cent free power. Other allocations include Chandigarh four per cent, Delhi eight per cent, Haryana 16 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir four per cent, Punjab 10 per cent, Rajasthan 20 per cent, Uttarakhand three per cent and Uttar Pradesh 20 per cent. These arrangements underpin a regional grid support role beyond state boundaries. The project features a 121 metre-high concrete gravity dam and a reservoir spread over nine point five square kilometres, with a total capacity of 391 million cubic metres. The station is reported to have been built by a GE - Canada consortium and introduced a gas insulated switchyard in India for the first time at the site. Its Francis turbine runner has been effective in handling silt-laden Himalayan waters and has contributed to limited breakdowns. Operational resilience has reduced major interventions, with the main turbine removed for servicing only recently, according to station management. The station is also preparing for technological upgrades and is at an initial stage of adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) for operations, which is expected to be aligned with corporate-level initiatives. Chamera One therefore continues to serve as both a reliable renewable source and a platform for further modernisation.

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