On December 18, 2020, the Asian Development Bank has approved a loan of US$231 million for the construction of the Lower Kopili hydroelectric power plant in the central Indian state of Assam.

This loan is the third and largest loan in the US$300 million Assam power industry investment plan approved by ADB in 2014. The project has so far upgraded the 70 MW Lakwa natural gas project and improved the state’s power distribution network.

The LKHEP power station will double the hydropower capacity of the Assam Power Generation Company. It will use water from the Kopiri River to generate electricity with a total capacity of 120 MW, especially during peak demand periods.

ADB chief energy expert Len George said: “The project will generate clean energy and help address the growing power demand in Assam. It will also help state-owned power companies reduce their dependence on expensive fossil fuel sources. Providing reliable power will promote economic growth, create jobs, and attract investment."

The project will also provide funding for APGCL's enterprise resource planning system and will support the implementation of measures to improve financial management. It will also plan to take special measures to alleviate the problem of acidity in the Kopiri River for the project. In addition to loans, the ADB Japan Poverty Reduction Fund also provided US$2 million in project grants to fund community-based disaster prevention initiatives and resource management.Editor/Huang Lijun