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NHPC Begins Commercial Generation at 2,000 MW Subansiri as Unit‑2 Enters Service

NHPC plans to bring three more 250 MW units online soon, with the remaining four slated for 2026–27.

Overview

  • NHPC declared the Commercial Operation Date for Unit‑2 (250 MW), initiating partial output at the Subansiri Lower project on the AssamArunachal border.
  • Union Power Minister Manohar Lal inaugurated the unit virtually, marking the first commercial generation from what NHPC describes as India’s largest hydropower project.
  • The run‑of‑the‑river scheme features a 116‑metre concrete gravity dam, a 442 million cubic metre flood cushion, and design elements aimed at grid resilience and flood moderation.
  • Power from the project is intended for 16 beneficiary states, with free allocations to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and 1,000 MW earmarked for the Northeast.
  • Construction faced prolonged delays, including a 2011–2019 halt due to protests and legal scrutiny, and the estimated cost has risen from Rs 6,285 crore to about Rs 26,075 crore.