DEVELOPMENT OF SHP ON EXISTING FACILITIES IN WESTERN MAHARASHTRA

Abstract

Maharashtra is one of the largest and the most industrialized state in India and has extensive network of irrigation canal and dams. Major hydro resources in Maharashtra have almost been harnessed.To meet the increasing demand of power, small hydro power schemes (SHP) would be developed wherever possible. The scope for the run of river scheme is limited in this region due to relatively plain terrain and non perennial rivers. However, there is an ample scope for development of low head power plants one existing dams and irrigation canal. Which can be commissioned in short time since the infrastructure and major civil work already exist. With small quantum of civil works, a SHP plant can be installed at these existing facilities. In this study development of small hydro power potential (up to 25 MW) on existing irrigation canal, low dams/weirs in Western Maharashtra have been studied and analysed in detail. It includes the review of different type designs of SHP plants on existing facilities containing different canal fall layouts, different possibilities of drawing the water from reservoir for power generation viz through conventional embedded penstock, siphon penstock or using existing sluices. A master plan with ranking / priority of these sites for the development has been also suggested. The necessary data used in this study have been collected from the concerned state Government departments in Western Maharashtra. Power potential assessment has been made after cat goring the sites under different classes as Dam toe based sites/canal based sites, weir based sites. Based on head and discharge, selection and dimensioning of the main generating equipment i.e. turbines have been carried out for the potential sites. Sets of three standardized runner diameter were developed for turbine requirement of 15 potential schemes.