NEW DELHI: The Union government has prepared a Rs 6.4 trillion ($77 billion) transmission plan to transfer more than 76 gigawatts of hydroelectric capacity from the Brahmaputra basin by 2047 to meet rising electricity demand, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) said on Monday.In a report released on Monday, the CEA said the plan includes 208 large hydro projects across 12 sub-basins in the northeastern states, with 64.9 GW of potential capacity and an additional 11.1 GW from pumped-storage plants. “In view of the substantial hydroelectric potential identified within the Brahmaputra basin, it was felt to have a comprehensive transmission system plan for evacuation of power from this assessed potential. Consequently, a transmission system master plan has been formulated for the evacuation of 65 GW of hydroelectric generation capacity from 12 sub-basins of the Brahmaputra basin,” the CEA said in the report.The Brahmaputra River, which rises in Tibet and flows through India and Bangladesh, has significant hydro potential in its Indian stretch, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh near the China border.The basin’s transboundary nature and proximity to China make water management and infrastructure planning a strategic issue, amid the government’s concerns that a Chinese dam on the Yarlung Zangbo (the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra river) could reduce dry-season flows on the Indian side by up to 85 percent.The Brahmaputra basin covers parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, and West Bengal, and holds more than 80 per cent of India’s untapped hydro potential, the report said. Arunachal Pradesh alone accounts for 52.2 GW, news agency Reuters reported.Phase one of the plan, running until 2035, will require Rs 1.91 trillion, while phase two will cost 4.52 trillion rupees, according to the CEA, as cited by the Reuters.India aims to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by achieving 500 GW of non-fossil power generation capacity by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2070.
China begins construction of dam on Brahmaputra
China began building a major dam on the Brahmaputra in southeastern Tibet in July, near the border with India. Premier Li Qiang attended the groundbreaking ceremony.India had raised concerns about the project earlier this year. In January, the ministry of external affairs said, “China has been urged to ensure that the interests of the downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas.”
