HCC will take over the rehabilitation of the Salal hydroelectric plant
Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) has been awarded a contract by NHPC Limited to rehabilitate the Salal hydroelectric plant , located in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The agreement is valued at ₹524.17 crore and will have a completion timeframe of 27 months.
Specifically, the construction company will carry out civil and hydromechanical works on the dam , focusing on restoring the lower gates of the concrete structure. The contract also includes auxiliary and complementary tasks to return these systems to operational condition.
The rehabilitation will focus on the dam's gates.
According to HCC, the intervention will allow the gates to function fully again; these structures are part of the systems that manage the flow of water and sediment in the dam.
In addition, the company expects the works to improve sediment management ; this aspect influences the performance of a hydroelectric plant because the accumulation of material can affect the operation of certain hydraulic structures.
In turn, the rehabilitation seeks to improve the operational efficiency of Salal; HCC also links the work to the safety and reliability of the dam during its long-term operation.
HCC returns to the Salal hydroelectric project
Furthermore, the contract marks Hindustan Construction Company's return to a facility it helped build decades ago. The Salal hydroelectric power station has an installed capacity of 690 MW and began operating in 1987.
In this way, the company will return to working on infrastructure linked to its history in the hydroelectric sector of Jammu and Kashmir . The new contract focuses on rehabilitating existing components rather than developing a power plant from scratch.
Furthermore, the hydroelectric project plays a vital role in the region's energy infrastructure. The work will allow for the modernization of systems at a facility that has been in operation for several decades.
The presence of HCC in regional hydroelectric power
Hindustan Construction Company has also participated in other hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir. These include Uri-II (240 MW), Kishanganga (333 MW), Nimoo Bazgo (45 MW), and Chutak (44 MW).
Together, these facilities and Salal represent 1,352 MW of installed capacity, according to HCC, that figure is equivalent to about 38% of the installed hydroelectric capacity of Jammu and Kashmir.
Therefore, the new contract expands the company's activity on hydroelectric assets in the area. It also reinforces the continuity of its work on facilities that require civil works and specialized hydromechanical systems.
HCC is also involved in railway infrastructure
Beyond energy, HCC has developed transport projects in Jammu and Kashmir. The company participated in the construction of the Anji Khad cable-stayed railway bridge.
In addition, the company completed approximately 32 kilometers of tunnels for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link. These projects demonstrate that its presence in the region also encompasses large-scale railway infrastructure.
Finally, the awarding of the NHPC contract places HCC once again at the Salal hydroelectric plant. Over the next 27 months, the work will focus on restoring the dam's gates and improving the facility's operating conditions.
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