Harangi Project

Power Generation

 

Harangi Hydroelectric Project 9MW (2×4.5MW)

EDCL owns and operates a run-of-the-river 9 MW (2X4.5 MW) Hydroelectric Power Project at Harangi River. The 9 MW Project was set up by the company in 1999 on the left bank of Harangi Dam(parallel to left bank irrigation canal), District Kodagu in Karnataka State.

Power Generation using existing Irrigation Dam

Harangi River is one of the major tributaries of River Cauvery originating from Pushpagiri Hills in Kodagu District. Harangi Dam was built in 1970s across the river near Hudgar village of Somawarpet taluk in District Kodagu to cater to irrigation requirements of the command area. The Harangi HEP was built in 1997 down stream at the toe of the Dam by EDCL.

It utilizes the head between FRL of Harangi Dam and the NWL of the left bank canal for power generation. After generation, tail waters from this power plant are released into the left bank irrigation canal to serve the irrigation requirements in the command area.

The Harangi HEP is our first project and exemplifies our commitment to environment- friendly and sustainable development of energy by optimal utilization of existing infrastructure.

On the fast track

The mammoth task of identifying the project to pre feasibility report and preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) was completed in a record time of 12 months.

Work on Harangi HEP 2×4.5 MW ( with 8 to 24 m head variation and 10 to 60 cumecs discharge variation ) was started in April,1997 and the project was commissioned in April, 1999 and was fully into commercial operation in July 1999.

The project involved construction of 5 m diameter tunnel, penstock, penstock bifurcation, Intake Structure, Power house, Tail race and procurement of electromechanical and hydro mechanical equipments.

A 14 km long, 66 kV single circuit Transmission line from Harangi Power Plant Switch Yard to the nearest KPTCL sub station was also constructed and commissioned by EDCL in a record time of less than a year and handed over to KPTCL.

Scientific underground mining

The entire work including 40 m excavation depths of hard rock strata just 300 metres away from the Main Dam structure was carried out safely and successfully and employed all safety norms like installation of seismogram and skilled man power. The work was carried out in a most scientific manner maintaining all international safety norms and without any time and cost overruns. This sort of mining work under controlled conditions has given us confidence to carry out any underground mining works.

Almost 100 % availability

The project is generating electricity since inception with an average availability factor of 99.9 % and is thus generating revenue as per plans, of course subject to limitations of water availability due to the extent of the monsoons. We are currently in the tenth year of commercial operation.

The company has a long term PPA with the Chamundeshwari Power Corporation, Karnataka for supply of whole of the energy generated.

The Project has so far generated 206.00 MU of clean electricity and earned a revenue of 65.50 crores approximately.

Capacity	9 MW(2X4.5 MW)
Electricity Output
Completed	April,1999
Location	Kodagu, Karnataka
Project Cost	est.
Power Purchase Agreement	Chamundeshwari Power Corporation

Harangi Stage- II HEP 6 MW (1X6 MW)

A unique Power Project

The development of 1×6 MW Harangi Stage- II HEP is a unique power project , which has been conceived as outcome of the efforts to avoid loss of energy generation at the existing Harangi HEP due to sudden failures and closures of the Left Bank Irrigation Canal at Harangi Dam and to reduce flood risk in the irrigation command area.

Converting energy losses to energy surplus

The existing Harangi HEP can be operated only and at the capacity which will release required irrigation waters into the Canal. But during the past 2/3 years, the irrigation canal experienced breaches threatening flooding of the command area and forcing closures of Harangi HEP.

To avoid this, EDCL proposed to install a Cross Regulator in the main irrigation canal to regulate irrigation water through the canal to avoid floods, and to divert excess water to Harangi River through Escape Channel.

This arrangement offers a dual advantage. It ensures continuous operation of Harangi-I HEP even during heavy overflow days and closure of the irrigation canal.

It also offers potential for generating more energy by tapping potential head difference between normal tail water level of the existing plant (Harangi Stage-I HEP) and the bed level of the Escape channel. Harangi Stage- II HEP is conceived to tap this power potential.

During Monsoons, when there is minimum irrigation requirement in the command area, the balance tail water from Harangi –I HEP and Dam spill over water can be made available to Harangi Stage-II HEP for generation.

Reducing flood risk

The project has the environmental benefits of reducing flood risk to the command area catered by the irrigation canal as the water in the canal will be regulated by installing a cross regulator. Excess water will be thrown in to the Escape Canal, which will take this water to Harangi River down stream of the Dam.

Project Description

The project scheme has simple civil works comprising Cross Regulator, Intake Structure and Approach Channel, Steel Penstock, Power House, Tail Pool and Tailrace Channel.

A steel penstock of 4.3 m diameter and 36 m length will lead water from approach channel to turbine at the power house. The Power House will be surface type located on the Right Bank of the Present Escape Channel. The power house will house a 1x6MW Horizontal Propeller Kaplan turbine coupled to a synchronous generator through speed increasing gearbox. Propeller Kaplan is chosen as there is almost constant head and discharge.

The project involves minimum civil works as part of existing escape channel will act as tailrace channel. No weir is envisaged. So no disturbance to ecology is expected because of Civil Work.

There will be no displacement of population and hence no rehabilitation of population involved.

Energy Generation

Using 75% dependable year data, the number of spill days is 54 and the energy generated from Harangi Stage-II plant works out to be 6.48 MUs.

The installation of Cross Regulator Gates will result in incremental energy generation of more than 1.5 MUs from the existing 9 MW Harangi HEP.

Therefore the total energy generation from the project is 7.98 MUs.

Evacuation

Power generated from Harangi Stage- II HEP shall be stepped upto 66 kV by the transformer. The existing transmission line from existing switchyard to Khushalnagar 66 kV substation is adequate to evacuate the additional and existing power from this switchyard.

MNES Subsidy and Carbon Credit

The project area falls in the hilly region of other states, and as such, the project is entitled for Rs.3 crores MNES Subsidy.

The project also qualifies for Carbon Credit benefits. In Karnataka , 820 CER units are generated per million unit. Therefore, the CER units generated for the proposed plant with clean energy generation of 7.98 MUs is 820x 7.98 = 6543.6. CER price range is Euro 8-9. Therefore, annual CDM benefits (at 1 Euro= Rs.55) will be about Rs. 22,84,198.00.

Under the global Kyoto agreement on Climate Change, Certified Emission Reduction (CER) is proof enough that the world’s net greenhouse gas has been reduced. One CER equates to an emission reduction of one tonne of CO2 – in a box

Capacity	6 MW
Electricity Output	est.
Completed	April,
Location	Kodagu, Karnataka