Poringalkuthu project of 24 MW to be operational by April

30 Mar 2022 CW Team

The Poringalkuthu small hydroelectric project (SHEP), with a capacity of 24 megawatts (MW), is expected to be completed in April, which will help to meet the increased demand for electricity during the summer months.

Civil work associated with the project is now complete.The turbine was tested on Sunday, and the remaining tests will be conducted soon, according to officials from the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). According to the Power Department, the Poringalkuthu SHEP will be the first hydro project of its size to be commissioned in nearly a decade.

The Poringalkuthu SHEP, which will be built in the Chalakkudy basin, received its initial contract in October 2014 and was expected to be completed in 24 months. However, delays in transferring forestland to the contractor, the 2018 and 2019 floods, and the Covid-19 pandemic all hampered the project, forcing the KSEB to extend deadlines multiple times. Poringalkuthu SHEP has a 45.02 million units (mu) annual generation capacity and a project cost of 159.19 crore.

Aside from Poringalkuthu, the 60 MW Pallivasal Extension Scheme, the 40 MW Thottiyar, and the 24 Bhoothathankettu schemes should all be completed by 2022-23 if all goes well. Work on all three projects was pushed back due to a variety of factors.

The KSEB had a total installed capacity of 2,240.22 MW as of March 31, 2021, with hydel projects accounting for 91%, thermal 7.14%, and solar and wind projects accounting for the rest. The KSEB owns 40 hydroelectric generating stations, 17 of which are major.

Four hydroelectric projects with varying capacities, which have been delayed, are expected to be completed in the fiscal year 2022-23, increasing the State's internal power generation capability.

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