ITANAGAR, Apr 29: In an effort to optimise generation from state owned micro, mini, small hydel plants being operated and maintained by the Department of Hydropower Development, a coordination meeting was held today.

Balo Raja, Advisor to Minister(Power & Hydropower) today took the meeting with Commissioner(Power), Secretary(Hydropower), all the Chief Engineers from both the Dept. of Power & Hydropower, SE(System Operation & Power System Communication), SE(Transmission), SEs of Siang, Kameng, Tirap & Lohit basins & EE(SLDC).  It was apparent from the deliberation that due to lack of a suitable mechanism for inter departmental coordination, there seems to have been communication gaps causing coordinational inefficiencies between the two departments. 

Raja, in his address advocated for strong coordinated actions by both the departments, who are the main stakeholders in the power sector in the state. "Unless it is done, the hydel stations would not be able to generate in its optimum capacities just for want of issues pertaining to T&D, Grid connectivity etc. Only a good coordination will make it possible to develop a system that sync with one another," he said

Urging for close coordination, he  pointed out that generation of power from own hydel stations can minimise the financial burden on the state exchequer in terms of purchase of power from outside.  

"For want of proper coordination between the two departments, the people are the ultimate sufferers, which needs to be addressed to immediately," the Advisor said.

A project wise analysis was made in the meeting by both the CEs of Western and Eastern Zones of the HPDD highlighting the issues wherever the interventions of the counterparts from Power Department is required for resolving the same.  In the case of Nuranang hydel project in Tawang District, it was observed that the power being generated from all the hydel plants within the district can well be injected to the state grid or local grid, as the case may be, with prior consent from the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC).  Similarly, the power being generated from the eastern side namely Kamba, Sippi, Sirnyuk Hydel plants can also be connected to the state grid.  

The SE(SO&PSC) informed that as per the regulations passed by the Arunachal Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission, 5 MW and above capacity of power can only be injected directly to the grid system. Other smaller generators can also be injected directly into the state grid provided the local distribution is not in a position to consume locally. He advocated for creation of a local grid by synchronising all such small hydels at local level, thereafter, the integrated local system can easily be connected to state grid at a suitable place with little planning and communications with the SLDC.   

 To mitigate all field level issues and operational gaps, he informed that the SLDC AP will start conducting quarterly State Operational Coordination Meeting from this year onwards. 

The SE(Transmission) has suggested for early transfer of all 33 KV HT and allied infrastructures to the Transmission utility, so that the issue related to grid connectivity can be made easier without elongating the due process, while taking reference of Kamba hydel project.  

The Commissioner(Power) has directed all the concerned SEs of hydropower and Power Departments to discuss the technical issues related to grid connectivity to all the projects especially of Kameng and Siang basins with the SE(SO&PSC) on 6th May and sort out the problems.  He also admired the roles of CE(Commercial), SE(SO&PSC) and EE(SLDC) in enhancing the revenue generation with their all-out efforts in timely and real time scheduling of available power for sale, which he informed that revenues to the tune of Rs. 231.75 and Rs. 309.48 crores have been earned by the State in 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively.