Guwahati, Dec 3: NHPC Limited on Tuesday successfully synchronised the second 250 MW unit of the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydro Electric Project (SLHEP) with the National Grid.
The milestone brings the country a step closer to commissioning what will be India’s largest hydropower generating station.
The synchronisation was virtually overseen by NHPC CMD Bhupender Gupta, with senior officials including Joint Secretary (Hydro) in the Ministry of Power, Mohammad Afzal, in attendance. Gupta called the achievement a testament to “technological mastery and engineering resilience,” adding that it further strengthens the National Grid and India’s march toward a greener energy mix.
The project—sprawling across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam—has had one of the most turbulent journeys in India’s hydropower sector. Work, which began in 2005, was brought to a standstill for eight years after a shutdown in December 2011 triggered by intense opposition from anti-dam groups over concerns relating to environment, river ecology and downstream impacts. The stalemate ended only in October 2019, when the National Green Tribunal granted environmental clearance after comprehensive technical reviews spanning nearly a decade.
NHPC officials underscored that SLHEP’s design centres on run-of-the-river technology, which harnesses the river’s natural flow while keeping construction and environmental footprint significantly lower than traditional large-reservoir projects. The approach, they said, aligns with India’s push for scalable yet ecologically sensitive hydropower solutions.
Rajendra Prasad, Executive Director and Head of Project, praised the efforts of engineers and workers who persevered through the project’s long delays. “We applaud the team’s resilience and urge them to carry forward the same passion and discipline as the project advances toward completion,” he said.
Once fully operational, the 2,000 MW capacity is expected to substantially augment the Northeast’s power availability while strengthening India’s overall renewable energy portfolio.
