BBS | Sonam Tshering | December 7, 2023
If all goes to plan, the Nikachhu Hydropower Project in Trongsa will start commissioning from next month. According to the project management, all the major works required for electricity generation have been completed. The Druk Green Power Corporation says the project has completed almost 98 per cent of the overall work as of October this year. The project was initially planned to be completed in 2019.
According to the DGPC, all the necessary wet testing procedures which are testing water turbines are complete.
Construction works of the dam, headrace tunnel, and powerhouse have also been completed.
Following the commencement of the dam operation in November this year, the project team is set to initiate the charging of the water conductor system in the tunnel.
It is anticipated that water will reach the turbines inside the powerhouse for wet commissioning on or before 17th December.
The Nikachhu Hydropower Project which began in 2016 is a subsidiary company of the Druk Green Power Corporation.
The 118MW project was estimated to cost nearly 12 billion ngultrum. It is being constructed by taking loans from the Asian Development Bank and commercial banks in India. The Asian Development Bank disbursed over five billion ngultrum and Indian Commercial Banks released more than three billion ngultrum for the project.
According to the project management, the Nikachhu Hydropower Plant is expected to generate 491 million units of electricity annually.
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