ADB approves $231 mn loan for Assam hydropower project

GUWAHATI:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $231 million loan to construct the Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Power (LKHEP) plant in central Assam, an official statement said.

This loan is the third and largest tranche of the $300 million Assam Power Sector Investment Programme approved by ADB in 2014.

The project has so far upgraded the 70-megawatt (MW) Lakwa gas project and, improved distribution networks in the state.

The LKHEP plant will double the hydropower generation capacity of the Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGCL). It will harness water from the Kopili River to generate 120 MW of electricity, particularly during peak demand periods.

“This project will produce clean energy and help address the growing demand for electricity in the state of Assam. It will also help state power companies reduce their dependence on expensive electricity from fossil fuel sources,” said ADB principal energy specialist Len George.

The project will also finance APGCL’s enterprise resource planning system and support the implementation of measures to improve financial management.

“It will also plan for special measures to mitigate acidity concerns in the Kopili river. In addition to the loan, a $2 million project grant from ADB’s Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction will finance community-based disaster resilience initiatives and resource management,” the statement added.

(Edited by Laxmi Chyrmang)