The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A new issue that has cropped up in the Punatsangchu II power house is water seepage from the upstream wall in the powerhouse cavern near two units that were launched on 17th December 2024.
The problem is that the seepage from the wall is near the Control System. Sources say that if the water seepage continues and water enters the control system then it will malfunction, leading to the overall malfunctioning of the units.
The control system keeps an eye on things like water levels, turbine speed, generator performance, and power output. It collects data from sensors placed around the hydropower plant.
Based on the data, the control system can make adjustments. For example, if the water flow is too high or low, the control system will change the turbine speed to keep power production steady.
The water that is seeping from the upstream wall is reaching the electrical panel, which can lead to the malfunctioning of the control system, which in turn controls the functioning of the two units that are currently exporting electricity.
The main concern of the water seepage is that the water droplets can hit the electric panel, which is connected to the control system of the two units and if the control system crashes, the two units would be jeopardized.
However, a senior official assured that water will not be allowed to enter the control system.
The Direct Current (DC) system, which powers the control panels, sensors and switches, is also facing a ground fault or leakage of electricity.
Ground faults occur when electricity escapes from its normal route and flows directly into the earth, which may lead to shocks and fire hazards if it happens at a place where electricity can spark or overheat.
It can cause shocks, fires, or damage to electrical equipment. The concerned officials are trying to trace and troubleshoot the ground fault without a concrete result, and are planning to insert aluminium cladding, and the equipment are expected to reach by next week.
Additionally, these units have not been functioning at full capacity due to the water shortage this season. On 1st January both the units were exporting electricity at full capacity from 3 pm to 5 pm and one unit was stopped at night due to the seepage problems.
For both the units to run at full capacity (170 MW), each unit needs around 77 cubic metres of water, and for both the units to function at full capacity, approximately 155 cubic metres of water is required.
As of now, the total inflow of water is only limited, which does not make it possible to run both the units at full capacity.
Since the project will be penalised if they do not supply electricity constantly after the Commercial Operation Date (COD).
A total of 220 MW is supplied from both the units as of today.
Sources say that since it is not even peak lean season yet, and the electricity supply is expected to decrease further.
In addition to the above there have been some teething issues in the turbines which is being worked on.
