GANGTOK — State-run NHPC has restored commercial operations at Units One and Two of the Teesta Stage V Hydroelectric Power Station, returning 340 megawatts to India’s grid after a prolonged outage caused by the October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood. NHPC said the two units, each rated at 170 MW, were synchronised with the national grid and resumed commercial service at 5 p.m. on July 13, 2026.
The revival is one of the most significant milestones in rebuilding Sikkim’s hydropower infrastructure since South Lhonak Lake breached during the night of October 3–4, 2023, unleashing a destructive surge through the Teesta basin that forced several projects offline and damaged dams, roads and bridges across the valley.
NHPC confirmed that the third generating unit, also 170 MW, will be commissioned separately to restore the station’s full installed capacity of 510 MW. With two units back online, the project already strengthens electricity supply in one of India’s key hydropower corridors.
The company has put direct losses from the 2023 flood at Rs 1,075.97 crore. Restoration was further set back in August 2024 when a landslide damaged the project’s Tail Race Tunnel outlet structure, causing additional losses estimated at Rs 327.67 crore.
Engineers spent the intervening period on extensive civil reconstruction, repair of hydro-mechanical systems, restoration of electrical equipment and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure required to return the station to commercial service.
Beyond restoring megawatts, the restart signals a gradual recovery of the Teesta Valley after one of the Himalayas’ most destructive hydrological disasters in recent decades. The rehabilitation underscores the strategic importance of resilient hydropower and the challenges of rebuilding renewable energy infrastructure in a region increasingly exposed to climate-driven extreme events.
The commissioning of the remaining 170 MW unit will complete the station’s restoration to its original 510 MW capacity, a step NHPC says will further stabilise regional power supplies and support broader infrastructure recovery across Sikkim.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/nhpc-teesta-v-resumes-hydel-power-generation-after-2023-glof
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