The Department of Civil Engineering organized an industrial visit to the Varahi Underground Hydro-Electric Project on November 11, 2024, for 36 second-year students. The aim of the visit was to enhance their understanding of hydroelectric power plants and provide them with a practical insight into their operation.
Located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India, the Varahi Hydro-Electric Power Plant is a significant facility on the Varahi River. It plays a vital role in the state's electricity generation and is renowned for its underground powerhouse and unique underground reservoir system. During the visit, the students were briefed on the plant's layout through detailed blueprints and a video presentation. The project coordinator explained that the Varahi plant has a combined installed capacity of 230 MW across both Stage I and Stage II, generating a total of 1,100 million units (MU) annually. The plant houses four 115 MW generating units in its underground powerhouse.
The students also visited the Mani Dam, constructed across the Varahi River, which primarily serves the purpose of power generation. At the dam, they toured the powerhouse, observing two 4.5 MW generating units in operation. The visit included an in-depth explanation of the SCADA control room, where students learned about the monitoring and control systems for efficient power management. Water from the dam flows through large penstocks to the turbines, which are designed to handle high-pressure water, ensuring optimal power generation. The working mechanisms of the entire plant, including turbines, lubricants, transformers, and nozzles, were thoroughly discussed.
This visit offered civil engineering students invaluable hands-on knowledge about the process of using river water for power generation. They had the opportunity to observe real-time operations of the turbines, penstocks, tail end, and transformers. Overall, the Varahi Hydro-Electric Power Plant serves as a crucial infrastructure project, blending advanced technology with renewable energy to provide reliable power to Karnataka.
