BBMB mulls mini dams at Bhakra, Pong reservoirs

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, July 28

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) is exploring the prospect of constructing “mini dams” on the periphery of reservoirs at the Bhakra and Pong dams that will enable generation of several thousand MW of additional green power to meet the ever-growing demand for electricity.

“We have prepared a feasibility report in this regard and four/five viable spots at each dam have been identified where such mini dams, called pumped power storage plant (PSP), can come up,” a senior BBMB official said. “This will be taken up with the stakeholders, including the Power Ministry and state governments, to discuss the way forward,” he said.

The PSP requires constructing dams and reservoirs at a height above the main reservoir. It could be an existing rivulet providing some water inflow or a gorge that can provide a suitable head to run turbines. Water from the main reservoir is pumped into the reservoir, which then flows back through the turbines.

The mini dams may range in size up to 100 ft in height and 400 ft in length and one such dam may be able to generate up to 1,500 MW, depending upon the available head and number of turbines that can be installed. In comparison, the Bhakra Dam, which is 741-foot high and 1,700-foot long, has an installed capacity of 1,325 MW.

According to BBMB officials, at times when the power demand is low, surplus power can be used to pump up the water to higher reservoirs, thereby creating an “energy storage just like a giant battery”. When the demand increases, this stored energy can instantly generate electricity. The start-up time for a PSP is 75-120 seconds as compared to six-10 hours for a thermal plant.

“Traditionally, PSPs are power intensive as electricity is consumed to pump water up to the higher reservoir, but the use of solar power can offset this cost,” the official said. Though established to generate hydropower, the BBMB has recently forayed into solar power generation and is in the process of setting up floating and ground-mounted solar plants at its reservoirs and project offices.

The BBMB officials said though the PSPs were technically viable, there were several associated issues such as willingness of the state governments concerned, allocation of land, participation of other technical and commercial entities, environmental factors and funding that would have to be addressed. The BBMB’s estimation for PSPs around Bhakra and Pong is about Rs 6,000 crore.

PSPs are not new to India and eight such projects are already running in central and southern India with a combined installed capacity of 4,745 MW. Several other projects in various parts of the country are also in the pipeline.

The Central Electricity Authority has estimated the pumped storage hydro potential in India to be about 103 gigawatt. In 2023, the Ministry of Power had issued guidelines to promote development of PSPs in the country. Worldwide, the installed PSP capacity is around 175 gigawatt, with China, Japan and the US being the top three.