Reliance a major part of India's hydro initiative

ARUNACHAL PRADESH, INDIA - In May, Reliance Infrastructure Limited, a power company of the Anil Ambani Group, announced the formation of a new subsidiary, Mihundon Hydro Power Private Limited, as part of a package of new hydroelectric power stations to be built in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Mihundon Hydro Power Private Limited will be responsible for overseeing the construction of the Mihundon Hydro Power Station, which is to be located on the Mathun River in the Dibang Valley, approximately 1,750 kilometers from New Delhi, in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The state government of Arunachal Pradesh carried accepted bids from many different power companies around India. It signed four memoranda of agreement with Reliance to construct hydroelectric power stations on build-own-operate-transfer bases as part of India's initiative to develop 5,000 megawatts MW of hydroelectric power. Last month, Reliance began releasing requests for quotations and bid documents for specialty contractors for the construction of the Mihundon Hydro Power Station, and it will continue the selection process through the beginning of next year.

Assuming everything goes according to plan, Reliance has scheduled construction to begin next May. Construction will entail a run-of-river dam, which is considered to be environmentally friendly, as well as the powerhouse itself. Reliance plans to install four 100-MW hydro turbine-generators and auxiliary equipment to provide renewable energy for the regional grid. Reliance has admitted that most hydropower projects can take up to 10 years or more to complete however, it has set an ambitious goal for itself. The US $700 million Mihundon Hydropower Station will have an operating capacity of 400 MW when finished in the fall of 2016.