Uttarakhand Infrastructure Projects Company Pvt. Ltd, a joint venture between the Uttarakhand government and IL&FS, is re-inviting bids for developing small hydropower projects on PPP basis. Speaking to Projectmonitor by phone, a senior official of Dehradun-based UIPC said that bids had been invited for six projects aggregating 24.45 mw spread over two basins—Nayar Valley and Tons Valley. The official, who did not wish to be identified, said that the re-bidding was necessary as the previous round remained inconclusive, without discussing the reasons.
All projects will be developed on BOOT basis with UIPC having already completed preliminary work like environmental impact assessment studies and detailed project reports, and was in the process of seeking various clearances.
UIPC has been mandated to expedite small hydropower projects in several basins like Nayar, Sarju, East Ramganga, West Ramganga, Kosi, Dhauliganga and Mandakini. The company is also involved in other infrastructure-related areas like roads and ropeways, the official noted. In the coming months, UIPC has planned to invite bids for six more projects spread over the Sarju, Kosi and East Ramganga basins, he said.
Projects are being offered as a cluster within a basin. When the number of projects in a basin is small, all projects will be grouped within an SPV, else they would be split into two or more SPVs like the Mandakini basin, where there are 13 projects.

Target for 11th Plan
UIPC is supplementing the efforts of state nodal agency Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam in exploiting and developing hydropower potential, both through private sector participation and state-owned projects. Uttarakhand has set a target of attaining 500 mw of capacity through small hydropower projects (capacity less than 25 mw) by the end of the 11th Plan period, according to S.K. Rastogi, General Manager (SHP), UJVNL. He added that the state’s current capacity stood at 75 mw, with a mix of private and state-run projects.
Rastogi estimated that around 40 private sector projects were currently under various stages of implementation, together aiming to add 400 mw. Through state-run agencies, including Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency, another 100 mw of capacity is coming up through 20-odd projects. The official also noted that UJVNL was in the process of finalising some more projects through private sector participation. “Evaluation of bids for both self-identified and state-identified projects is currently going on,” Rastogi said.
By 2020, Uttarakhand has estimated that it could add 1,000 mw of new capacity through renewable energy sources, out of which 60 per cent could come from small hydropower projects. Last year, the northern state came out with a new policy for small hydropower projects—an initiative that aimed at encouraging private enterprise and capital. Currently, Uttarakhand offers projects based on the premium payable to the state government by private entities, apart from technical competence of the developer. However, no royalty payment is involved.
As far as large hydropower projects (capacity exceeding 25 mw are concerned), the Central Electricity Authority has estimated a hydropower potential of 18,175 mw out of which around 3,050 mw was installed, as of August last year. Public sector entities are currently in the midst of developing a total capacity of over 8,000 mw through large schemes of which the 2,000-mw Tehri complex of Tehri Hydro Development Corporation is the most prominent.
The state of Uttarakhand (earlier Uttaranchal) came into being on November 9, 2000, when 12-odd hilly districts in the Kumau and Garhwal regions were carved out of erstwhile Uttar Pradesh.