Power Sector of Bhutan

Bhutan Power Corporation Limited

Outline of the Presentation:
Salient geographical features of Bhutan
Hydropower Development in Bhutan
Power Supply & Demand
Transmission Network
Present Transmission Works
Future Transmission Works
Other Projects
Other Issues

Salient geographical features of
Bhutan:

Located in the Eastern
Himalayas
Area 38,394 sq. km
Forest cover 72.5%
Population 6,34,982 (2005
Census)
Altitude range from 100 7500
meters above mean sea level
Stretch of 170 km north to
south and 300 km east to west
Climate generally 4 seasons
(Spring, Summer, Autumn, and
Winter)
Religions: Buddhism, Hinduism

Hydropower Development in
Bhutan:
Total Hydro Power Potential = 30,000 MW (Techno-
Economically Feasible : 24,000 MW)

Total Installed Hydro Generation Capacity = 1488
MW (from 28 power plants sizes ranging 8 kW to
1020 MW)

First hydropower plant of 360 kW built in 1967 in
Thimphu (Capital)

Hydropower Development in Bhutan
(Contd.):
First CDM micro hydro (Chendebji) 70 kW
commissioned in August 2005

Remaining to be developed = 71 large sites that have
been identified ( 22,280 MW)

10,000 MW hydropower generation capacities to be
developed by 2020.
Power Supply & Demand:

Electricity export - About 75% of the generation

Annual export estimate = 7,216.53 MU (2010)

Revenue from sale of electricity contributes to 40%
of national revenue.

Bhutans consumption + losses = 1,628.03 MU (2010)


Sl.
No.

Name of
Hydropower Plant
(HP)

Year of
commissioning

Installed
Capacity
(MW)
Average
Annual
Generation
in MU
1 Chhukha HP 1986-1988 336 2,024
2 Basochhu HP - Upper
Stage
1999 22 105
3 Kurichhu 2000- 2001 60 400
4 Basochhu HP - Lower
Stage
2004 40 291
5 Tala HP 2006-2007 1020 4865
Total 1478 7865

Existing Major Hydropower Plants
(HP):

Power plants in pipeline:
Sl.
No.

River Basin

Project Name
Installed
Capacity (MW)
Construction
Period
1. Punatsangchhu Punatsangchhu-I 1200 2007 2014
2. Mangdechhu Mangdechhu 770 2009 2016
3. Punatsangchhu Punatsangchhu-II 990 2009 2016
4. Bumthangchhu Chamkharchhu-I 670 2014 2020
5. Bumthangchhu Chamkharchhu-II 570 2017 2022
6. Drangmechhu Kholongchhu 485 2020 2024
7. Amochhu Amochhu (Dorokha) 500
8. Nikachhu Nikachhu 210
9. Kurichhu Rothpashong 400
10. Dagachhu Dagachhu CDM 114 2007 - 2011
11. Punatsangchhu Sunkosh 4,060
Total MW 9,764
Length of 400 kV D/C lines 74.143 km

Length of 220 kV D/C lines 35.780 km

Length of 220 kV S/C lines 183.739 km

Length of 132 kV S/C lines 379.484 km

Length of 66 kV S/C lines 267.196 km

Length of 66 kV D/C lines 5.960 km

Length of 66 kV M/C lines 3.405 km

Total Transmission Line Length 949.707 km

Existing Transmission Network in
Bhutan
Existing Transmission Substation in
Bhutan
Sl.
No.
Substation Qty (Nos.) Capacity
(MVA)
1 400 /220/66kV substation 1 200
2 220 /66kV substation 2 160
3 132kV substations 7 102
4 66kV substations 11 199.5
5 33kV substations 1 3
6 66kV Switching Station 1 -
Total 23 664.5
Transmission Network in Bhutan:

Transmission works completed recently:

66 kV Yurmoo to Trongsa- 20.3 km and 66 kV Yurmoo
to Bumthang- 34.70 km

132 kV S/C line from Tingtibi to Yurmoo- 32.60 km

220 kV S/C from Rurichhu to Tsirang-47.50 km

132kV S/C from Deothang to Rangia - 56.46 km


Present Transmission Works:

Transmission Lines under construction:

400 kV D/C Transmission line from Punatshangchhu to
Lhamoizingkha- 2 x 86 km

220 kV D/C Transmission line from Dagachhu to Jigmeling (via
Tsirang)- 48. 2 km

132 kV D/C East-West Link from Lodrai to Jigmeling 12 km

220kV S/C Transmission Line from Samtse to Sipsu- 35km

66kV S/C Transmission Line from Samtse to Gomtu- 15km





Present Transmission
Works(Contd.):
Present Transmission
Works(Contd.):
Substations under construction:

220/132kV substation at Jigmeling

220/66kV substation at Tsirang

Present Transmission
Works(Contd.):
Transmission Line & substation construction under
NIT/Limited bidding:

220kV D/C line from Malbase to Samtse
45km

132/33kV substation at Yurmoo (Trongsa)

400 kV line from Kholongchhu to Tali Buli Pooling station

400 kV line from Mangdechhu to Tali Buli Pooling station

400 kV from Punatshangchhu-II to Jigmeling

400 kV multi-circuit line from Tali Buli to Jigmeling Pooling
station and extension beyond the Indo-Bhutan border to
Bongaigaon, Assam
Future Transmission Works:

500 kV HVDC lines from 4000 MW Sunkosh HEP to Damodar
Valley Project & Meerut

400 kV line from Amochhu/Torsa Projects to Siliguri (new
Binnaguri) pooling station

220/66/33 kV substation at Dhamdhum Industrial Estate
(Samtse)

66/33 kV substation at Sipsu (Samtse)

Future Transmission Works
(Contd.):
OPGW & ADSS Interlinking

Telecom Infrastructure Fibre / Bandwidth

National Load Despatch Centre

Remote Metering Systems

ERP Implementation

Other Projects:
Other Projects (Contd.) :
BPC plans to replace all the ground wire of 66 kV and above
lines with OPGW.

Other possible Business Associations :


Mini/Micro Hydro project

Long Term Turn-key Project Association

Long Term O&M association Live Line and Technical
Know-how Transfer

Continuous need-based Personnel Interaction / Training

Other Issues:
Future expansion as per SATURN:
BHUTAN

NEPAL
BANGLADESH
INDIA
INDIA
CHINA
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