One of the largest hydropower projects in the country, the Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project, has started generating electricity in its full capacity. With the commissioning of its sixth unit today, the project can now generate 1,020 megawatts of electricity. Project officials say this achievement strengthens Bhutan’s position as a global leader in clean energy.
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Indian Ambassador to Bhutan, Sudhakar Dalela, and Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Gem Tshering, graced the commissioning ceremony.
The project has six units and the final one was integrated into the main national grid today, meaning it started generating electricity.
The first two units were connected to the grid towards the end of last year, followed by the other three units a few months later.
According to a news release, the project has generated more than 2,160 million units of clean energy to date, which is approximately Nu 6bn in revenue, sold domestically.
The Government of Bhutan and India began the project construction in 2010 and planned to complete it by 2017 with an initial estimated cost of Nu 37bn.
However, the project faced prolonged delays with several work extensions and cost escalations. The budget for the project is now estimated to be Nu 94.45bn.
Meanwhile, project officials said the two governments are in the final stages of discussions on the tariff rate, which is expected to be higher than Nu 5 per unit.
Tashi Dekar
Edited by Tshering Zam
