Kerala Approves Canal Hydrokinetic Project

The Kerala government has granted permission to install five hydrokinetic turbines in the Left Bank canal of the Moolathara regulator in Palakkad district. This initiative is part of the Energy Management Centre, Kerala's (EMC) efforts to explore the use of hydrokinetic energy turbines in irrigation channels. The Water Resources department, overseeing the Moolathara regulator, has given its approval with the condition that the turbines and associated infrastructure do not impede water flow. The project, generating 25 kilowatts, is contracted to Maclec Technical Project Laboratory. The EMC plans to replicate hydrokinetic energy projects in other promising locations across the state. Unlike traditional hydropower projects relying on stored potential energy, hydrokinetic power projects generate electricity by harnessing the kinetic energy of flowing water. In June 2021, the Power Department authorised EMC to install hydrokinetic turbines in irrigation channels and tailrace schemes of hydropower projects managed by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).