Allain Duhangan
A merchant power plant with short term Power Purchase Agreements, feeding electricity into the Northern Regional Grid of India.
The project
The Allain Duhangan Hydropower Limited (ADHPL) is a greenfield run-of-river project with no dam attached. The high head underground power plant utilises water flows from a combination of glacial snowmelt and monsoon rains. The 192 MW hydropower plant lies at the confluence of Allain and Duhangan rivers in the Kullu district of Himacal Pradesh, about 500 km from Delhi.
Operation
Allain Duhangan will be operated as a base load plant during the summer and rainy season (June-October), and as a peaking plant the rest of the year. The project is expected to help meet power shortages in the Northern region, presently estimated at about 1500 MW.
Construction
Construction of Allain Duhangan Hydropower Plant was commenced in January 2005. Commercial operation started in June 2010 for Allain and is planned in 2012 for Duhangan.
Sustainable development
The project provides significant employment opportunities for local communities and also contributes to develop the infrastructure in the Kullu district.
Allain Duhangan has been approved and registered to generate carbon credits under the UN`s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Through generation of renewable energy, Allain Duhangan will replace some of India`s thermal power production and the UN confirms the project will reduce global CO2 emissions by an estimated 495 000 tonnes annually. The CDM approval and registration was a decisive factor for the realisation of the project.