Public sector hydropower producer, Satluj Jal Vidut Nigam (SJVN) Ltd, which runs its flagship Nathpa Jhakri power project (1,500 mw) in Shimla, plans to add 5,000 mw by 2014-15.

SJVN, a public sector joint venture of the Centre and the Himachal Pradesh government will require an additional investment of about Rs 29,000 crore to achieve the ambitious target. Company officials say the funds will be raised from internal accruals and will avail loans from domestic multilateral funding agencies. Besides, the proposed initial public offer (IPO) by the SJVN is expected to hit the market in the first week of May this year.

To add 5,000 mw, SJVN is exploring the possibilities of taking up new projects in Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The Corporation is executing Rampur Hydro Electric Project (412 mw) in Himachal Pradesh (HP), which is expected to be completed in September, 2013. The cost of the project is Rs 2,047 crore, which includes 15-km long head race tunnel, 128 mt surge shaft and underground power house. The project is being funded in the ratio of 75:25 by the World Bank and the company, respectively.

Informing about the progress of the project, RR Sinha, additional general manager, SJVN Rampur Hydro electric project said, ?We have already invested around Rs 782 crore in the project for which memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on October 20, 2004 with the HP government. The stage-I and stage-II activities have almost completed. Around 9 km of the head race tunnel is ready and 116-km surge shaft has been excavated. Besides, 95% excavation for underground powerhouse has been achieved. This project intends to use the desilted water discharge by the upstream project, which will reduce the cost?.

Talking about other projects coming up in Himachal Pradesh, RS Katoch, director (personnel), SJVN said, ?There are two projects, which are lined up including Luhri (775 mw) and Khab Hydro Electric Project (1,020 mw ) in HP for which detailed project reports have already been submitted.

The Luhri Hydro-Electric Project located in Shimla, Kullu and Mandi, is a run-of- the river type development proposed to harness the hydel potential of river Satluj between Kepu and Bindla villages. The Khab dam Project is proposed to be located in Kinnaur on river Satluj. The dam is proposed to be constructed at a distance of approximately 3.8 km near the confluence of Spiti and Satluj rivers at Khab.?

SJVN has also bagged three projects in Uttarakhand including Devsari Hydro Electric Project (252 mw), Jakhol Sankri Hydro Electric Project (45 mw) and Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project (59 mw).

In pursuit of expansion in the neighbouring countries, the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Nepal government on March 2, 2008 for development of 402 mw Arun-III Hydro Electric Project. The project was bagged by SJVN after competing in the global tender floated by the Nepalese government. Besides, the SJVN also has two projects in Bhutan including 486 mw in Kholongehu and 900 mw in Wangchu.

The organisation, which generated 6,608.69 million units of power during 2008-09 from Nathpa Jhakri Hydro power station against 6,448.97 million units in the previous year, earned a net profit of Rs 1,051.32 crore.

Besides, the company plans to achieve the target of 7,000 million units in the current fiscal.