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BASOCHU HYDRO POWER
PROJECT,
WANGDUEPHODRANG
Basochu
Upper Stage Hydropower Project:
The 24 MW (first phase) Basochu Upper Stage Hydropower project
will have an annual generation output of 105 Million Units.
The power plant is a run-of the river scheme tapping the Basochhu
river three kilometers upstream of the waterfall with a catchment
area of 162 square kilometre. The Basochhu stream at 1,800 metres above sea level is tapped
and brought to the Rurichhu basin to produce 24MW, called the Upper
Stage. The 40 MW Lower Stage uses the tailrace water of the Upper
Stage combined with the Rurichhu that has been diverted into a
reservoir of 74,000 cubic metres capacity. The water is piped
through a 2.5-kilometer tunnel and a
1.3
kilometre long penstock
long penstock line
before it hits the pelton turbine
he project is financed by the Austrian Government under a financing
mix of bilateral assistance and soft loan.
The
construction of the first phase started in November 1997 and was
completed in August 2001.
Cost: The construction of the project began in 1997. The
original project cost was estimated at Nu. 1,569 million. The
government of Austria provided Nu. 1,227 million,
partly as grant and partly as an interest-free loan for this
project (Kuensel
Jan 18,2002). Austria
provided a grant of Euro 13.038 million, an interest free loan of
Euro 17.151 million (Kuensel May 03, 2005).
Bhutan financed infrastructure development, mainly
the 66KV transmission line to Semtokha, the roads to Hebesa and the
intake area with a total investment of Nu. 342 million.
The
two countries shared the escalated cost of Nu. 354 million on a
50-50 basis.
(Kuensel
Jan 18,2002).
Generation and Revenue:
According to
Basochhu Power Corporation,
Phase 1 produced 130 million units of
energy in 2004 compared to 119 million units in 2003 and 110 million
units in 2002, an increase by 23.8 percent. Revenue generation also
increased to Nu. 121, up by about Nu.13 million from the previous
year (Kuensel May 03, 2005).
Basochhu Power Corporation sells its energy to Bhutan Power
Corporation ( BPC) at Nu.0.5 a unit The BPC then supplies
power to himphu, Paro, Wangduephodrang, Haa and Punakha. It also
sells its energy to the Chukha Hydro Power Corporation at a tariff
of Nu.1.5 a unit, which is fed to the domestic industries in the
southern belt. Loss of energy from transmission failure dropped to
512 Mwh (Nu.0.512 million) in 2004 from 1754 Mwh (Nu.1.754 million)
in 2003
There are 51 employees to operate and maintain both upper stage
(24MW) and lower stage (40MW), which came into operation since
September 8, 2004.
Basochu
II
Lower Stage (Rurichu) Hydropower Project:
The construction of the
lower stage or the phase II of the Basochhu project was started in
March 2002. The
Austrian minister for Foreign Affairs,
Dr. Ursulla Plassnik
and Bhutan's prime minister, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, jointly
inaugurated the Basochhu Lower
Stage hydro power project in Wangduephodrang on March 26 by
switching on the generators of the 40 MW project phase,
increasing the total power output of Bhutan to 457 MW.
With the total production capacity of
40 megawatts, the lower stage is already supplying 32 megawatts of
power to the domestic western grid since September 2004. The
Basochhu power will be linked with Kurichhu supply at Gelephu to
form an integrated national power transmission grid. The project went into commercial
operation supplying
32 megawatts
of power to
the domestic western grid. The
Bhutan Power Corporation is buying the power at 0.50 cheltrums a
unit from the Basochhu Hydro Power Corporation. This raises
generation from Basochhu to 64 megawatts, with the first
phase or Upper Stage already generating 24 megawatts.
However, the lower stage is currently generating only 9MW because of
the low volume of water in the two streams.
It
is expected to generate annual
energy generation of 186 Million Units.
The lower stage powerhouse is
located 18.0 km from Wangduephodrang.
Cost: A turn-key project agreement was
signed on September 13, 2001 between the Royal Government of Bhutan
and Austrian Hydro Consortium Basochu (AHCB) for the lower stage of
the Basochu project. The project is financed under Official Austrian
Export Promotion Scheme Loan.
It
is
being implemented as a turnkey package - financed with a loan of
Nu. 1,300 million
(ATS
430 million) from
the Official Austrian Export Package Scheme (OAEPS). Bhutan’s
contribution is to the tune of Nu. 369 million, mainly for
infrastructure development to transmit power to Semtokha.
A contract
worth Nu 1,300 million (ATS 430 million) to construct the 40 MW
Basochu Lower Stage (Basochu II) was awarded to AHCB in
September 2001.
The lower stage is built at a cost of Nu. 1,422 million (2001-2002
pricing) of which 90 percent of the loan is provided by Austria
making it the biggest Austrian-Bhutan cooperation project.
Cost per MW
comes to
Nu 35.55 million.
The
Lower Stage is a high head plant and lies below the
Upper Stage and
is designed to
utilize water released by the upper stage Basochhu I with additional
20 percent flow tapped from the nearby Rurichhu. An 870 metre long
tunnel will convey water from Rurichhu to a reservoir, in front of the upper stage powerhouse, from where
it will be taken to the powerhouse downstream through a 2.53 km
penstock pipe.
It has two ‘pelton’ turbines and is similar in design
to the Upper stage.
During the winter months when power
consumption peaks the country had to buy power from India for a few
hours a day with Chukha providing only 70 -80 megawatts. Now this
shortfall will be met by the supply from the Basochhu Lower Stage.
Basochhu II along with Basochhu I, which is already in operation, will have a total
installed capacity of 64 MW. Together they will earn Nu 300.0 million
a year. The power from both the projects will be supplied to the
five western dzongkhags and will also be extended to Tsirang, Dagana
and Sarpang. The ultimate strategy is to link Basochhu power with
the Kurichhu supply at Gelephu to form an integrated national power
transmission grid.
The
Basochu project is the biggest Austrian - Bhutan cooperation project
and also the biggest project assistance that Austria has signed with
a third country.
All the
equipment and the power plant of the Lower Stage are from Austria
except for the switchyard and the transmission lines which were
built by the Bhutan Power Corporation.
The
total
domestic consumption at around 105 megawatts. This
project would provide electricity for about 300,000 domestic
consumers in Bhutan
Basochhu Lower
Stage Power House |
