India’s largest hydropower project begins wet commissioning of first 250 MW unit at Subansiri

In a landmark moment for India’s hydropower sector, NHPC Limited has commenced the wet commissioning of the first 250 MW unit of its 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (HEP).

The process follows the successful mechanical run of the turbine, marking a decisive step toward the operational launch of India’s largest hydroelectric project and NHPC’s most powerful unit to date.

Located at Gerukamukh on the Arunachal Pradesh–Assam border, the Subansiri Lower HEP was launched in January 2005. The project had faced an eight-year suspension between 2011 and 2019 due to protests in Assam and legal hurdles concerning downstream environmental impacts. Work resumed in October 2019 after NHPC adopted enhanced mitigation and safety measures, leading to this major breakthrough.

The milestone