India announces incentives for hydropower

MUMBAI, June 30 (UPI) -- India's government is offering big incentives as part of its plan to boost hydropower.

Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the government plans to give a major thrust to hydropower projects in the country and has offered incentives for companies producing hydropower.

Shinde said any company setting up a hydropower project would be allowed to sell 40 percent of electricity produced at the plant on its own.

Currently there is a peak-hour power shortage of 30,000 megawatts in the country but hydropower's potential is huge. In the Himalyan region alone hydropower has a generation capacity of 150,000 megawatts.

Of the total power capacity of 78,755 megawatts that is scheduled to be built in the current plan period, machinery for 75,000 megawatts has already been ordered.

Shinde said the government has not made any changes in the power plant target in the current five-year plan.

Referring to the Sasan power project in Madhya Pradesh state, he said it was running behind schedule but it is expected that one of its two units could start production in this plan period.