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Chamera-1 Hydro Station Powers North India for 30 Years, Eyes AI Future

The 540-megawatt Chamera-1 Hydro Power Station in Himachal Pradesh has been a cornerstone of renewable energy for three decades, consistently generating more power than its original design capacity. It supplies electricity to nine northern states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, through long-term agreements. The station's reliability is attributed to its advanced French turbine, specifically designed for silt-laden Himalayan waters, which required its first major service only recently. Looking ahead, the station is now in the initial stages of preparing to adopt Artificial Intelligence to enhance its operations.

Key Points: Chamera-1 Hydro Power: 30 Years of Renewable Energy & AI Plans

  • Exceeds design energy targets
  • Powers nine northern Indian states
  • Features pioneering French turbine technology
  • Preparing to integrate Artificial Intelligence
  • Home state Himachal gets 12% free power
2 min read

Chamera-1 hydro power station: three decades of renewable energy, now heading towards AI in operation

NHPC's Chamera-1 hydro station in Himachal has generated over 2500M units, powers 9 northern states, and is preparing to adopt AI for operations.

"We are fully preparing to adopt Artificial Intelligence as well. - Shiv Prasad Rathore"

Chamba, February 21

Renewable energy is the most important among the current sources of energy. The projects specifically being carried out by NHPC in hilly states are not only meeting electricity needs but also accelerating infrastructure development. One such major project is the Chamera-1 Hydro Power Station, located in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the five power stations under NHPC's Banikhet regional office.

This 540-megawatt station has an underground powerhouse, operating through three units, each with a capacity of 180 megawatts. Its Construction began in 1984 and was completed the same year. Talking to ANI, Power Station Head Shiv Prasad Rathore said, "Since its commissioning, it has been generating more power than its design energy. Its design energy is 1,664 million units per year. We achieved our this year target in the month of August itself. So far, we have generated more than 2,500 million units."

Rathore added, "We supply electricity to about nine northern Indian states through long-term PPAs. Himachal Pradesh, being the home state, receives 12 percent free power from us." Other states receiving power from this station include Chandigarh (4%), Delhi (8%), Haryana (16%), Jammu & Kashmir (4%), Punjab (10%), Rajasthan (20%), Uttarakhand (3%), and Uttar Pradesh (20%) of the total power generation.

The project features a 121-meter-high concrete gravity dam and a large reservoir spread over 9.5 square kilometers, with a total capacity of 391 million cubic meters. Rathore explained, "This power station was built through the G-Canada consortium. It was a new technology at that time. One of the special features of this project is its GIS switchyard, which was installed here for the first time in India."

When asked how a three-decade-old unit is keeping pace with new technology, the station head said, "Compared to other projects, Chamera-I has very few breakdowns. There are several reasons for this. One is that it has a French turbine-runner, which is highly effective in handling silt-laden Himalayan waters. This can be understood from the fact that since the start of operations, the turbine has been removed for servicing for the first time only recently."

He also said, "With changing times, we are adopting every technological advancement. We are fully preparing to adopt Artificial Intelligence as well. Although the work is currently at the initiative stage, whatever steps are being taken at the corporate level in this direction will benefit us here at Chamera-I too."

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
It's heartening to see such critical infrastructure serving so many states reliably. The move towards AI is exciting and necessary to keep our national assets future-ready. Hope they also focus on training local youth in these new technologies for employment.
A
Aman W
Good performance, but I have a question. The article says construction began and was completed in 1984? That seems like a typo. A project of this scale must have taken years. A little more editorial care would be appreciated. Otherwise, great work by NHPC.
S
Sarah B
The geographical spread of the beneficiary states is impressive. From Jammu & Kashmir to Uttar Pradesh, it's powering a large part of North India. The French turbine handling Himalayan silt is a great example of choosing the right tech for local conditions.
V
Vikram M
Hydro is our true green battery. While solar and wind are intermittent, these projects provide stable base load power. More focus should be on building such projects in the North-East as well. Jai Hind!
K
Kavya N
The fact that the turbine needed servicing only recently after decades of operation is mind-blowing! 👏 It shows what quality equipment and proper care can achieve. Integrating AI for predictive maintenance will take this to the next level. More power to the team!

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