Hydro Tasmania Consulting has been commissioned by the World Bank to develop a framework for the efficient and sustainable development of hydroelectric power schemes in the Himalaya region of India.

The work, which is valued at US$315,000, will concentrate on private and public sector developments with a focus on ensuring minimal environmental and social impacts on river and basin-wide developments. It will also provide a framework for reducing risk in individual projects.

Hydro Tasmania Consulting General Manager, Michael Brewster, said that Hydro Tasmania was particularly well qualified for the project.

'We will bring the experience of Hydro Tasmania's long history of hydroelectric power scheme development along with our commitment to developing sustainable projects,' he said.

'The project has a strong focus on environmental and social impacts and expands monitoring to the entire river basin thereby ensuring minimal impacts. This is an area where we have a wealth of expertise and experience.

'We have undertaken environmental impact studies and solutions on our power schemes for several decades followed by the extensive studies conducted in anticipation of Basslink,' he added. 'Hydro Tasmania also has experience in working in partnership with private sector developers which is a strong focus for this project. With less than 40 per cent of the Indian community connected to electricity, successful partnerships will be critical for the completion and funding of projects.'

Providing access to a reliable energy supply will increase opportunities for economic growth and the development of industry and commerce, said Brewster, subsequently providing employment opportunities for the country's citizens.

The Indian Government has committed to providing all its people access to a reliable source of electricity by 2012. Reaching this goal will require the installation of 100,000MW of additional generation capacity.