Nearly four-and-a-half decades after establishing four hydel power units of 115 megawatts (MW) capacity each at the Lower Sileru Hydro Electric Station (LSHES) located on the borders of Alluri Sitharama Raju and East Godavari districts in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, the AP Power Generation Corporation Limited (AP-Genco) is setting up two new units (2X115 MW) at the existing project site at a total cost of nearly ₹416 crore.
A consortium of companies, which bagged the contract, has started getting penstocks (massive water pipes) and ferrules fabricated at its yards close by, and other material moved to the site.
At the moment, various civil works are being done. Once these foundational works are completed, the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) will undertake the installation of the turbines and generators.
A top official of the AP-Genco told The Hindu that efforts were underway to complete the project in the stipulated 24 months, i.e. by the end of April 2024.
He pointed out that a provision made for the new units in the LSHES at the time of its construction in the 1970s itself made the job easy.
It helps in meeting the deadline, unless something beyond the AP-Genco’s control throws a spanner in the works.
The project scope includes the testing, erection and commissioning of two vertical Francis turbine generators and auxiliary equipment, installation of a 220 kV switchyard, power evacuation and other balance works on a turnkey basis.
The contractors have deployed some heavy duty equipment, including a hydraulic excavator and a hydra crane. More importantly, submersible draft tube pits are being concreted. Necessary statutory clearances have already been obtained from the regulators.
Machkund, Balimela, upper and lower Sileru are the four major projects constructed on the Sileru river, which has tremendous potential for power generation for a long time to come.
The new units had some work done on them previously, when draft tubes were erected, but had to be suspended due to paucity of funds and some other reasons.
The project is poised to gather pace now as its progress is being monitored regularly by the top officials of the Energy Department, which is having a construction coordination meeting on June 30 aimed at expediting the works.
