Author: PPD Team Date: 01/03/2025
NHPC Limited is developing the 240 MW (2 x 120 MW) Uri-I Stage II Hydro Electric Project (HEP) on the River Jhelum in Uri tehsil, Baramulla district, Jammu & Kashmir. The project, with an investment of Rs 25.26 billion, will operate on a build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) basis for 40 years.
Uri-I Stage II is an extension of the existing 480 MW Uri-I HEP, which was commissioned in 1997. The new project will use the existing Uri-I barrage for water offtake and will require the construction of an additional head race tunnel (HRT), power house, and tail race tunnel (TRT). The project will utilize a gross head of about 250 meters, with the full reservoir level (FRL) at 1,491 meters and the tail water level (TWL) at 1,241 meters.
The project includes a 95-meter-long and 21.5-meter-high barrage with a full supply water level of 1,491 meters. The spillway consists of six bays and three under-sluice bays. A fishway of about 150 meters is located between bays six and seven. Other major components include a head regulator, a desilting basin, a headrace canal, an intake forebay, and a surplus escape at a water level of 1,491.30 meters. The Buniyar Nalla intake, culvert, and tunnel intake have a total length of about 250 meters.
The Uri-I Stage II project will feature a 6.5-meter horseshoe-shaped HRT on the left bank, running parallel to the existing tunnel. The power generation system will include a 5-meter-diameter steel-lined pressure tunnel and two auxiliary tunnels of 3.25 meters in diameter. The underground powerhouse cavern will house two units of 120 MW each. A transformer cavern will be located downstream of the powerhouse, followed by a draft tube gate operation cavern. The main TRT will have a 6.5-meter horseshoe shape with tailrace surge galleries. Multiple adits and access tunnels are planned to facilitate construction and operation.
The project requires approximately 102 hectares of land, including 85 hectares of private land and 17 hectares of forest land.
Several regulatory and administrative approvals have been secured for the project. NHPC signed an agreement with the Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory administration for project allotment on October 11, 2020. The Ministry of Power (MoP) approved the execution proposal on December 28, 2020. On January 3, 2021, NHPC signed a supplementary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited (JKSPDC) for project execution.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) granted Terms of Reference (ToR) for the project on June 10, 2021, following a proposal submission in March 2021. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) approved the project on February 16, 2023. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the MoEFCC recommended granting environmental clearance (EC) for the project in its meeting on January 29, 2025.
With the necessary approvals in place, NHPC is moving forward with the implementation of the Uri-I Stage II HEP, which is expected to enhance power generation capacity in the region while leveraging existing infrastructure for optimal efficiency.
Photo credit: NHPC