The project will take seven years to complete. Working with joint venture partner Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), Halcrow will be responsible for the detailed design of the civil works, co-ordination with the electrical and mechanical designer/contractor and providing site support to the contractor.
The station will be constructed on the Kishanganga River in the Bandipore district of Jammu and Kashmir state, near the town of Gurez and will transfer water to Bandipur in the vale of Kashmir. Halcrow will undertake mathematical modelling, tunnelling, underground space and power station designs. Key features of the scheme include: 9.5 meter (m) diameter diversion tunnel, 36m high concrete faced rockfill dam with plastic concrete cut-off wall of depth 25m, 24km of headrace tunnel of an average 5.5m diameter 150m high surge shaft, 4m diameter inclined steel-lined pressure shaft an underground powerhouse housing three 110MW vertical pelton turbines 900m long tailrace tunnel.
The headrace tunnel can only be constructed from each end and most of the work will be done by tunnel boring machine. Halcrow’s wide experience in design of underground works will be fundamental to this element of the project.
As an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, HCC will be responsible civil and associated infrastructure works; supply, installation, testing and commissioning of all electromechanical plant and machinery and hydro-mechanical components including generating units. HCC has previously worked on several of Jammu and Kashmir’s infrastructure projects, including construction of the state’s largest HEP project – the Salal Dam. It is currently developing five other infrastructure projects, including the Chutak HEP project in Kargil, the Nimoo Bazgo HEP project in Leh and the URI HEP project.
Regional managing director for south Asia David Birch, said: “This is a significant addition to our global hydropower portfolio. In India we are already undertaking designs for several schemes, plus a feasibility study for a 1,000MW scheme. It is also a significant boost to our development plans for partnering with HCC on major infrastructure projects in India.”
