Idukki: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will on Thursday inaugurate the 60-MW Pallivasal Expansion Project. He will also inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of the Idukki Hydroelectric Project, the largest hydroelectric project in Kerala.

The Pallivasal Expansion Project has an annual generation capacity of 153.9 million units and is equipped with two generators of 30 MW each. The project aims to utilise surplus water available in the reservoir of the Pallivasal Hydroelectric Project, the state's first hydroelectric power project.

The new power station has been constructed close to the existing Pallivasal power station, which was established before India's Independence.

Additional 60 MW generation
Under the existing system, water stored in the Kundala and Mattupetty dams near Munnar is diverted through a tunnel from the R A Head Works- the confluence of the Lakshmiyar, Nallathanni and Mattupetty rivers- and channelled through penstocks to the Pallivasal power station for electricity generation.

Considering the availability of additional water in the reservoir and the ageing infrastructure of the existing plant, the expansion project was conceived to generate an additional 60 MW of power. The project has been completed at an estimated cost of ₹594.37 crore.

The hydroelectric sector in Kerala has seen notable progress in recent years. With the commissioning of the 40-MW Thottiyar Hydroelectric Project and the 60-MW Pallivasal Expansion Project, the state's total hydroelectric generation capacity has increased by 100 MW.