The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Punatsangchu II project is aiming to start commissioning its first unit of 170 MW on 15 August 2024 and the second unit of 170 MW by the end of August.
Then the other units will be commissioned subsequently until all 6 units of 1020 MW capacity are commissioned by December 2024.
A P II project official said they are trying their best to meet the August 15 deadline.
The official said that the dam filling works are going on right now which means that the dam is slowly filled to a certain level and then changes are observed if any and then the next level is filled and so on.
This is as per a dam filling manual which is being followed where many precautions have to be taken.
Water is also being sent into the Head Race Tunnel to charge and test it and the next phase will be filling and Tale Race Tunnel which is where the water would exit after the HRT and power station.
The project official said that small works are left but the most of the work is largely done.
The official explained that the international best practice is to commission each unit one by one and nowhere are all units commissioned together.
Some of the works left are some civil works, testing and some electro mechanical works.
The power grid system is already built with power to be evacuated via Jigmeling and Alipurduar.
The P II project could have been inaugurated earlier but there were delays caused due to the pandemic when work slowed down as only limited workers could be allowed in.
The project completion cost is Nu 94.45 bn.
The P II project will add a huge amount of power and revenue. Its generation in winter though much lesser will add to the winter capacity and help industries.
The project once fully commissioned will also take the full load of the 50% pay hike for civil servants which is currently mainly paid for by selling Bitcoins. Of the Nu 6 bn a year pay hike cost Nu 4 bn is provided by Bitcoins. Bitcoins will pay Nu 8 bn for two years towards the hike.
Both sides have already started negotiations on the tariff which is expected to be the cost-plus model of taking the project cost including financing cost and some profit after it.
