SJVNL generates record 100 billion units electricity

Shimla, Feb 22 (IANS) Public sector Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL) on Friday created a record by generating a cumulative 100 billion units electricity in this fiscal from its 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri plant in Himachal Pradesh, which is the country's largest hydro project, the company said.

Its Chairman and Managing Director Nand Lal Sharma said the power station, which is designed to generate 6,612 million units of electricity every year in a 90 per cent dependable year, has all through been operating at more than 100 per cent plant availability factor.

The highest annual generation achieved was 7,610 million units in 2011-12.

He said the power station's successful implementation and operations had opened many a vista of expansion, diversification and business growth for the company.

The station has the world's most voluminous desilting chambers, one of the longest headrace tunnel, one of the deepest surge shaft, besides one of the largest underground powerhouse complex.

Sharma said the hydropower plant was implemented with an outlay of Rs 8,187 crore. Over the years, it has earned substantial revenues not only for paying back to the shareholders but also funding its other upcoming projects.

The revenues it earned, he said, had not only added substantially to the company's net worth which stands at Rs 10,695 crore but also to its reserves at Rs 6,764.91 crore.

The major shareholder, the government of India, has been paid a total dividend of Rs 3,889.4 crore on an investment of Rs 3,081.6 crore, while the Himachal Pradesh government, holding 26.85 per cent of the equity, has been paid a total dividend of Rs 1,485.06 crore against an investment of Rs 1,055 crore, the company said.

Since 2003, the power station has been supplying electricity to Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.