The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) has estimated that the 18 MW Suchhu Hydropower Project is expected to generate Nu 290 million in revenue in 2025.
The Suchhu Small Hydropower Project is part of the first phase of small hydropower initiatives launched by the government to enhance energy security and stimulate economic growth in remote regions.
It is a run-of-the-river scheme planned across the Suchhu, a tributary of the Amochhu River. Located in Sangbaykha Gewog in Haa, the project’s intake is situated about one kilometer from Shaba village, while the powerhouse is located below Tsanglingna, approximately one kilometer upstream of the Suchhu and Sheychhu confluence.
The Suchhu joins the Sheychhu at an elevation of 897 meters above sea level, and the combined river meets the Amochhu at around 835 meters above sea level. The catchment area at the intake covers 90 square kilometers and is entirely rainfed.
The intake is positioned at an elevation of 1,230 meters above sea level, and the powerhouse is at 940 meters above sea level. The project site is accessible via the Shaba and Tshanglingna farm road, about 79 kilometers from Haa town. The intake and powerhouse take-off points are approximately 12 kilometers and 16 kilometers from Sangbaykha Dungkhag, respectively.
Sangbaykha Dungkhag is accessible by road from the India border towns through the Phuentsholing-Haa and Phuentsholing-Samtse highways, which are used for the transport of equipment and construction materials.
The Suchhu Hydropower Project has a capacity of 18 MW, a design energy of 76.57 million units, and a project cost of Nu 2,095 million.
Meanwhile, construction of the 54 MW Burganchhu Hydropower Project in Zhemgang and the 32 MW Yungichhu Hydropower Project in Lhuentse has progressed beyond 70 percent completion. Both projects are expected to become operational by the third quarter of this year. Construction on these projects began in June 2022, with a combined capital investment of nearly Nu 10.5 billion.
In addition, the second phase of small hydropower projects commenced in December last year. This phase includes the Druk Bindu I and II Hydropower Projects in Samtse, the Gamri I and Bamukparongchhu Integrated Hydropower Project in Trashigang, the Jomori Hydropower Project in Samdrupjongkhar, and the Begana Hydropower Project in Thimphu.
