India’s Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has unveiled a bold $78‑billion plan to capture and transport the country’s vast untapped hydropower from the Brahmaputra River. The new network of transmission lines will move more than 76 gigawatts of clean electricity to power homes and factories across the nation by 2047, reducing India’s reliance on coal and other fossil fuels.
The scheme covers up to 208 large hydro projects in 12 northeastern sub‑basins, reaching a potential capacity of 64.9 GW. An extra 11.1 GW will come from pumped‑storage plants that store excess energy for use when demand spikes. The Brahmaputra, originating in Tibet and flowing through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, and West Bengal, holds over 80 % of India’s unexplored hydro potential. Arunachal alone offers 52.2 GW of new power opportunities.
The first phase, running to 2035, will cost roughly 1.91 lakh crore rupees (about $24 billion). The second phase, from 2035 to 2047, will require 4.52 lakh crore rupees ($57 billion). Together, the two phases will install more than 31 000 circuit kilometres of high‑capacity lines, add 68 GVA of transformer capacity, and build 42 GW of high‑voltage direct‑current (HVDC) lines to carry power over long distances without loss.
Key state‑run utilities—NHPC, NEEPCO, and SJVN—will lead many of the projects, many of which are already in the works. India’s overall goal is to reach 500 GW of non‑fossil power by 2030 and hit net‑zero emissions by 2070, and this transmission upgrade is a key step toward those targets.
Beyond clean energy, the plan addresses strategic concerns about China’s massive dam projects upstream on the Brahmaputra. By developing its own river corridor, India aims to protect downstream water flow and secure its water rights, a priority for both India and Bangladesh.
In short, the CEA’s road map will power India’s future, cut greenhouse‑gas emissions, strengthen energy security, and affirm the country’s claim to its vast river resources.
Source: ianslive
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