Test synchronisation of the 250 mw Unit-2 of the 2,000 mw Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHEP) with the national grid has been completed, and commercial supply is expected to begin soon. Divided into eight units of 250 mw each, the synchronisation of the remaining units will proceed upon completion of comprehensive wet commissioning tests.
Three units are expected to generate an additional 1,000 mw of electricity. The NHPC stated that Unit-2 is expected to begin commercial supply this month, while the final four units are scheduled for sequential connection during 2026-27.
The project has been long delayed and has been at the centre of controversy for years due to protests, construction issues, and repeated missed deadlines. The current progress is therefore likely to be viewed as a significant achievement for the organisation. The last attempt to operationalise a 250 wmw unit of the plant was in January 2024.
Started in 2005 with an original commissioning target of December 2012, the project has taken 20 years to near completion, including nine years of stalled work due to local protests. The project cost has also tripled from the original estimate.
The NHPC had begun construction of the project in January 2005. However, the work remained stalled from December 2011 to October 2019 due to agitations and protests by locals in downstream Assam.