These projects are expected to enhance the country’s domestic power supply and boost its export potential. The first phase of Bhutan’s small hydropower projects is nearing completion. The 18-megawatt Suchhu Hydropower Project in Haa is 97 per cent complete and is set for commissioning this month.
Most of them are under study while 23 MW Sephu is under construction, 120 mw Jamjee is under the tender process along with the 8 MW solar rooftop. The 13th Five Year Plan document says as a strategic national resource and primary revenue generator, hydropower stands as a cornerstone of Bhutan’s economic growth.
According to the Renewable Energy Management Master Plan 2016, Bhutan has the potential to generate 12 gigawatts of solar power and 760 MW of wind energy. The first phase of the Sephu solar farm is expected to produce 25 million units of energy, enough to power 3,476 households, assuming an average urban household consumes five kilowatts of energy.
Despite Bhutan’s main energy source being hydropower, the country imports electricity during the winter and lean seasons. From December 2023 to May 13, 2024, Bhutan imported electricity worth Nu 6.07 billion, a significant increase from Nu 1.75 billion in the same period the previous year.
The 18-megawatt Suchhu Hydropower Project in Haa is 97 per cent complete and is set for commissioning this month. Meanwhile, construction of the 54-MW Burganchhu Hydro Power Project in Zhemgang and the 32-MW Yungichhu Hydro Power Project in Lhuentse has passed more than 70 per cent completion.
Meanwhile, construction of the 54-MW Burganchhu Hydro Power Project in Zhemgang and the 32-MW Yungichhu Hydro Power Project in Lhuentse has passed more than 70 per cent completion. Both are expected to become operational by the third quarter of this year.
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