The Nikachhu Hydropower Project in Trongsa is now expected to be ready only in 2023. This is the second time the deadline has been extended. The delay this time has been attributed to the pandemic and geological issues. The 118 megawatt hydropower project was initially set for completion in 2019 and then pushed to 2022.
About 75 percent of the overall works are complete so far. Officials say things are now back on track and works are progressing according to plan.
The powerhouse, which houses the generators and turbines that produce the electricity, is about eighty percent complete. Inside it, preparations to install rotors in the two turbines are in full swing. A rotor is the main component inside a turbine that spins the machine to produce electricity. Officials say this will take a minimum of four months. The two turbines will each have the capacity to produce about 60 Megawatts of electricity.
Meanwhile, the Dam construction at Chendibji, which is 12 kilometres away from the powerhouse at Thumangdra, is also nearing completion.
And as for the 12 kilometre tunneling between the powerhouse and the dam, only half a kilometre is left.
Meanwhile, project officials said seepage of water and loose soil while tunneling caused the delays. Another challenge was replacing most of the foreign workers that left last year due to the pandemic. The project employed inexperienced Bhutanese workers and this slowed the work progress.
Recruitment of skilled workers from India continued after the situation improved, but the 21 day mandatory quarantine discouraged many from coming in. Shortage of quarantine facilities at the border entries was another challenge. The project had to bring in workers by air so that they could be quarantined in Paro and Thimphu. Procuring construction materials and equipment was also delayed because of lockdowns at Phuentshogling and Nganglam.
However, officials say there will be no cost escalation. The project is expected to be constructed within the overall estimated budget of Nu 11 bn.
Passa, Trongsa
Edited Yeshi Gyaltshen
