NHPC Limited, an Indian public sector company, has commenced commercial operations for three of the four 200MW units of its 800MW Parbati-II hydroelectric project in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district. Operations began at midnight on April 1, 2025, with the fourth unit expected to start soon.

R.K. Chaudhary, NHPC Chairman and Managing Director, announced: “It gives me immense pleasure to announce that 3 units of 200 MW each of NHPC’s ambitious 800MW Parbati-II Hydroelectric Project, located in Himachal Pradesh, have been successfully commissioned during March 2025 and commercial operation has commenced today on 1st April, 2025. The Parbati-II Project is one of our most ambitious projects which had overcome numerous challenges and obstacles during its construction and this achievement stands as a testament to the hard work, dedication and teamwork of our committed employees.”

Located on the Parbati River, the run-of-the-river project features an 83.7m-high dam near Pulga in the Manikaran Valley, diverting water through a 31.56km head race tunnel—India’s longest—to a powerhouse in the Sainj Valley. Equipped with four 200MW Pelton turbines and two 1,545.5m-long inclined pressure shafts, the project utilizes an 862.5m gross head. Additional water from five streams enhances power generation.

Construction, initiated in 2002 after a 1999 foundation ceremony, faced challenges like cloudbursts, floods, and geological issues. Costing Rs. 13,045 crore, the project is designed to generate 3,074 million units annually and boost the 520MW Parbati-III station’s output by 1,262 million units yearly. Since 2018, part-load generation from Jiwa Nallah produced 1,130 million units, yielding Rs. 182 crore.

Himachal Pradesh receives 12% of the power free, plus 1% for local development. NHPC invested Rs. 112 crore in local infrastructure, including 15 bridges and 88km of roads, and Rs. 27.83 crore in CSR initiatives for health, education, and welfare. The project employs 20 locals permanently and 349 indirectly, with 98% being residents. During construction, 1,171 of 1,361 workers were from Himachal Pradesh. Livelihood support reached 370 families, and 58 vehicles were hired from affected households.

NHPC funds a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sainj, educating 422 students, mostly local, at Rs. 4 crore annually, and contributed Rs. 4 crore to Kullu’s Regional Hospital. With a 7,833MW installed capacity, NHPC advances renewable energy, marking Parbati-II’s commissioning as a milestone in its 50th year.

by water power