NHPC fully commissions 800 MW Parbati-II in Himachal

22 Apr 2025 CW Team

NHPC Ltd has fully commissioned the 800 MW Parbati Hydroelectric Project Stage-II in Himachal Pradesh, with the final 200 MW unit going live on April 16. The first three units began commercial operations on April 1.

The run-of-the-river project in Kullu features a concrete gravity dam near Pulga village and a 31.56 km head race tunnel—India’s longest—to channel water to a powerhouse in Sainj valley. Power is generated using four Pelton turbines of 200 MW each, harnessing a gross head of 863 metres.

The plant also includes two inclined pressure shafts of 1,545.5 metres each—the world’s longest built using tunnel boring machines. Water from five local nallahs further supports power generation.

Himachal Pradesh will receive 12 per cent of the generated power free of cost and another 1 per cent for local development. The plant is designed to generate 3,074 MUs annually and boost the nearby 520 MW Parbati-III’s output by 1,262 MUs.

Work on Parbati-II began in 1999 but was delayed due to tough terrain, flash floods, and cost escalations. The final project cost stands at Rs 130 billion, up from an initial Rs 39.19 billion.

As part of the project, NHPC built 15 bridges and 88 km of roads, and allocated Rs 1.12 billion for local development and Rs 278.3 million under CSR. It also supported 370 affected families, provided 20 permanent jobs, and helped run a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sainj for 422 students—411 of whom are locals.

With this commissioning, NHPC’s total installed capacity rises to 8,140.04 MW, including 7,771.20 MW from 23 hydro plants and 368.84 MW from solar and wind projects.

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Suraj Estate Wins Euromoney Award for India’s Best Residential Developer

"Suraj Estate Developers Limited has received the Euromoney Real Estate Award 2025 for ‘India’s Best Residential Developer’, positioning the company among globally benchmarked leaders in the sector. The recognition reflects its four-decade legacy in delivering high-quality residential and redevelopment-led projects across South Central Mumbai. The Euromoney Real Estate Awards, presented by the London-based Euromoney magazine, are widely regarded as one of the most credible global assessments of performance in real estate, banking and finance. Winners are selected through surveys of inte..

Lloyds Metals, Tata Steel Sign MoU to Explore Strategic Collaboration

"Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Steel Limited to evaluate potential areas of strategic cooperation across mining, logistics, pelletisation and steelmaking. The MoU was signed by B Prabhakaran, Managing Director of Lloyds Metals, and Mr T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel. The partnership framework aims to leverage the natural operational synergies between both companies and assess opportunities in greenfield steel projects, iron ore mining, slurry pipeline infrastructure, pellet manufacturing in iron ore–ric..

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching th..