Birahi Ganga Hydro Electric Project

Birahi Ganga Hydroelectric Project (BGHEP): Powering a Sustainable Future in the Himalayas

Nestled in the pristine landscapes of Uttarakhand, India, the Birahi Ganga Hydroelectric Project (BGHEP) harnesses the power of the Birahi Ganga River to generate clean, renewable electricity. This run-of-river project exports its power to the northern regional grid via a 66 kV transmission line connected to the Chamoli substation, located a mere 9.1 km from the project site, upstream from Birahi village (6 km from Chamoli town). The project displaces approximately 39.78 GWh of electricity per year from the Indian grid.

The BGHEP features a robust, boulder-type weir spanning approximately 52 meters across the river. Three (3) horizontal Francis turbines, each boasting a 2400 kW capacity, are strategically positioned to maximize energy capture. Designed with a head of 54.50 meters and a discharge rate of 17.435 cubic meters per second (cumecs) in the penstock and 5.81 cumecs in each branch pipe, the powerhouse is situated on the northeast bank of the Birahi Ganga, ensuring efficient and sustainable energy production.

The generated electricity seamlessly integrates into the northern regional grid, serving the states of Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The North Regional Load Dispatch Centre (NRLDC) orchestrates energy distribution, allocating power shares to each state. The Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), a key generation agency of Uttarakhand, is connected to the northern regional grid, facilitating seamless power transmission.

BGHEP operates under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with UPCL, ensuring the sale and transmission of the generated power to the northern regional grid, further solidifying its commitment to sustainable energy supply.

Contribution of the project activity to sustainable development

The Birahi Ganga Hydroelectric Project goes beyond clean energy generation, making significant contributions to the sustainable development of the surrounding region, one of the most economically underdeveloped areas in India. BGHEP’s impact is felt across social, economic, environmental, and technological spheres:

Contribution to Social Wellbeing:

• Increased access to reliable power reduces reliance on firewood, improving the lifestyle of local villagers and mitigating deforestation.
• Project development enhances accessibility through the construction of new roads in the vicinity.
• The project developer actively promotes environmental conservation through plantation forestry initiatives.

Contribution to Economic Wellbeing:

• Addresses power shortages, particularly during peak winter demand, by increasing the availability and reliability of electricity supply to connected villages.
• Creates local employment opportunities during project operation and maintenance.

Contribution to Environmental Wellbeing:

• Preserves downstream river resources by maintaining natural flow patterns as a run-of-river scheme.
• Minimizes impact on aquatic fauna by avoiding significant alterations to water current velocities and ambient conditions.
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by generating electricity without the use of fossil fuels, minimizing disruption to the local environment as a run-of-river hydro scheme that does not require the building of a reservoir.

Contribution to Technological Wellbeing:

• Employs environmentally friendly technology, aligning with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) of the Government of India’s vision for renewable energy development.

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