VARAHI UNDERGROUND HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER STATION

🌊💧VARAHI UNDERGROUND HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER STATION

👉Firstly i want to highlight about some additional information in karnataka power supply corporation limited (KPCL) that is in karnataka the thermal power plant generates about 8.494 MU, hydro-electric power plant generates about 35.366 MU and the remaining energy comes from non-conventional energy sources 0.15697 MU, therefore total capacity in KPCL is 44.017 MU and others 132.890 MU. The total state consumption is 175.838 MU, that is in karnataka. 

💧thermal  📢 8.494 MU

💧hydro-electric power plant📢 35.366 MU

💧non-conventional energy 📢 0.15697 MU

💧total capacity in KPCL 📢 44.017 MU

💧total state consumption 📢175.838 MU(MILLION UNITS). 

👉Varahi is the only hydroelectric plant in India which is situated underground and generates electricity. It is been said that it is a must visit place if we go to karnataka because we will not be able to observe and watch the operation of a hydroelectric power plants elsewhere in India which completely works underground.  It is also known as Halady or Haladi river in downstream areas. It joins the Arabian sea after flowing through places like halady, basrur, kundapura and Gangolli. It joins with the souparnika river, kedaka river, chakra river and kubja river which are known by Panchagangavali river and merges into the Arabian sea. Pancha means five in kannada  and samskritha and Ganga means river. According to mythology,varaha is one of the incarnations of Lord vishnu. Varahi is consort of Varaha.

👉A hydroelectric , called Mani Dam (as it is constructed near Manibail village),across the Varahi river. Power generation takes place underground.An underground power station built by KPCL(KARNATAKA POWER CORPORATION LIMITED) uses water from this river near hosangaddi in Udupi district.The dam is near Yadur near masthikatte, shinoga district. Many villages got surrounded by water of this dam. Varahi lift irrigation project, using the waters of Varahi river is being constructed since 1979 near siddapura village of udupi District. 

👉The river Varahi takes its birth at a height of 730 m in the Western Ghats at Hebbagilu, near Agumbe in Shimoga District. It joins the Arabian Sea near Kundapur. After a 25 Km initial run, this swift and powerful river falls 455 m in cascades to form the bellowing Kunchikal falls.

👉Varahi is Karnataka's first underground powerhouse – a key milestone in the corporation  history of KPCL.

👉Initially conceived as a surface power house at the blueprint stage, Varahi was later converted into an underground Powerhouse. The decision for the change-over was based on three key parameters : technical, economical and our concern for environment protection.

👉The river originates in the Western Ghats and flows into the Arabian sea . It is  originates at a place called “Hebbagilu” near Agumbe in thirthalli taluk in the district of Shimogga from an elevation of 730 metres (2,400 ft) above mean sea level. Many tributaries join Varahi at places such as Shettykoppa,Halige, Kollavadi, and Bangaragalli. The annual rainfall varies from 20–1,280 centimetres (7.9–503.9 in).The river joins the Arabian sea near Kundapura in the district of Udupi in Karnataka. 

👉Now I want to give some information about kunchical falls, The major waterfall is in hosanagara Taluk, Shimoga. It is about 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the origin of the river. There are falls of 455 metres (1,493 ft) in cascades, popularly known as Kunchikal falls.The falls do not directly drop, but jump through rocks and boulders. After construction of the dam near Mani village for Varahi Hydro electric project, the water flow in these falls was greatly reduced. Now the falls operate only during the rainy seasons.

 👉Stage I of the Varahi Hydro Electric Project has a total installed capacity of 230 MW   and Stage II of the Varahi Hydro Electric Project has a total installed capacity of 230 MW contributing 1100 MU annually. This consists of 4  x 115 MW Generating Units at Varahi underground Powerhouse and two 4.5 MW units in the power house at the Mani Dam site.

💧🌊SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

👉the highest thermal generation in karnataka /KPCL is 15852.65 MU (2013-14). 

👉Highest plant load factor of 90.39% at RAICHUR THERMAL POWER STATION (2002). 

👉Commissioning of units at 7 at RAICHUR THERMAL POWER STATION (RTPS) in 25 months is moreover a national record. 

👉Highest capacity addition of 730MW(MEGA WATT) in 2008-2009.

👉Highest generation of 28712.74MU (2013-2014).

👉Karnataka's pioneering spirit in the field of power has been translated into several major milestones. Established Asia’s first – Hydro Electric Power Station in Shivanasamudram, on the banks of river Cauvery during 1902. Karnataka the first to embark on Alternating current, when Bangalore Citys lighting scheme was completed. Karnataka had the longest transmission line in the world in 1902, from Shivanasamudram to KGF, covering a distance of 147 km and it was the first state in the country to conceive and set up a professionally managed Corporation to plan, construct, operate and maintain power generation projects in the state. Thats the legacy that KPCL started with and built on.

👉For over four decades, the Karnataka Power Corporation has been a prime mover and catalyst behind key power sector reforms in the state – measures that have spiralled steady growth witnessed in both industrial and economic areas. Right from the year of inception, in 1970, KPCL set its sights on "growth from within” meeting growing industry needs and reaching out to touch the lives of the common person, in many ways.

👉KPCL today has an installed capacity of 8846.305 MW (as on 31.12.2017) of hydel, thermal, solar and wind energy, with 6820 MW in the pipeline.

👉From an industry point, KPCL has raised the bar on the quality of deliverables and is constantly working at lowering the cost per megawatt – a commendable cost-value equation that has become a benchmark on the national grid. KPCL's stock in trade is industry proven – well-established infrastructure & modern, progressive management concepts and a commitment to excel, helping it meet the challenges of the rising energy demands of Karnataka.

👉The leverage point of KPCL initiatives are its resource management strengths – right across planning, financing and project engineering. KPCL also has a high rating in terms of project completion and commissioning within the implementation calendar.

🌊💧MISSION OF THE POWER PLANT 

👉KPCL seeks to touch higher vantage points in the world of Power Engineering. Our formula for achieving this – start with a world class organization, build-in efficiency and cost control and ensure that progress is in harmony with the environment.

• Exploring, identifying and developing opportunities in power generation.
• Devising innovative ways of setting up and operating power plants.
• Investing in resource base of technical competence, systems, processes and capability.
• Empowering people, work teams and the support network to achieve these objectives.