Union Power Secretary Alok Kumar visits SJVN’s 1500 MW NJHPS

Union Power Secretary Alok Kumar visited India’s Largest underground SJVN’s 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) in Himachal Pradesh. Nand Lal Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, SJVN, accompanied him during the visit. NJHPS is India’s largest underground hydro Power Station in operation since 2003-04.

During his visit, Alok Kumar inaugurated the newly constructed Central Robotic Hard Coating Facility and O&M workshop at NJHPS, Jhakri.

Nand Lal Sharma CMD, SJVN, apprised the Hon’ble Secretary that NJHPS has been exceeding annual generation targets by efficiently tackling the issue of heavy silt that is part of river Sutlej. Earlier, NJHPS established High Velocity Oxy Fuel Hard Coating facility at its project site to protect the critical underwater parts of the power station. Previously, there were separate facilities for repair of individual parts.

 Subsequently, SJVN management felt the need for setting up common hub for repair and refurbishment of the parts at one place. Accordingly, new Central Robotic Hard Coating Facility and O&M Workshop have been established. With this facility large parts of the Power Station would be repaired and transported easily thus expediting the reclamation process of these parts, thereby shortening the maintenance time.

Sh. Nand Lal Sharma further informed that NJHPS is the first Hydro Power Station in the country to have such facility of its own. The new coating facility consists of Liquid Fuel Coating Equipment including Robot & small turntable (programmable 8-axis), 40 Ton capacity Large Turntable / Manipulator / positioners for Coating Runner and other large Components, Grit Blasting Equipment with Grit Recovery system, Fuel / Gas Supply System including Gas Leakage Detection & Alarm System, Acoustic Rooms for Coating Process and Grit Blasting including Dust Extraction Filter for both chambers etc. With establishment of this new facility significant there has been significant improvement in techno-commercial aspects of Operation & Maintenance in NJHPS. This will lead to increased generation, PAF, enhanced Reliability, decreased maintenance time & cost, higher silt load capability etc.

Union Power Secretary, Sh. Alok Kumar also inspected other major components of the Power Station including Power House & TRT Outfall and reviewed the Operation and Maintenance activities. He appreciated the stalwart leadership of CMD, SJVN for the initiatives undertaken by NJHPS enabling enhanced performance of the Power Station, which is an engineering marvel of the country.