The Teesta-V hydropower station, in Sikkim, has been rated as an example of international good practice in hydropower sustainability, according to a report first of its kind in India published by the International Hydropower Association. The 510MW power station, owned and operated by NHPC Limited, was reviewed by a team of accredited assessors using the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol. The study was conducted between January and June 2019 and involved two visits to the project area, with interviews of the stakeholder.
According to the report, Teesta-V met or exceeded international good practice across all 20 performance criteria. It met proven best practice on its management of asset reliability and efficiency, financial viability, project benefits, cultural heritage, public health, and erosion and sedimentation.
Teesta-V is also the first hydropower project globally to publish results against new performance criteria covering its toughness to climate change and mitigation of carbon emissions. The report documents how NHPC has managed the impacts on local communities and the environment, and how the project has provided ‘significant’ benefits, including providing low-cost electricity and employment.
In a statement the NHPC Limited said, ‘Our company operates with a mission to achieve excellence in the development of clean power at international standards.’ Following this mission and vision in letter and spirit, NHPC sought a hydropower sustainability assessment of the Teesta-V Power Station using the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol.
