Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project:
State-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) recently said it has successfully commissioned the first two units of the 6×170 MW Punatsangchhu-II hydroelectric project (PHEP-II) in Bhutan.
- Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project (PHEP-II) is a 1 GW run-of-the-river hydroelectric power-generating facility under construction in the Wangdue Phodrang district of Bhutan.
- It is located on the right bank of the Punatsangchhu River.
- The project is being developed by the Punatsangchhu II Hydroelectric Project Authority, under an Inter-Government Agreement (IGA) between the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of India.
- It involves the construction of a 91m-high and 223.8m-long concrete gravity dam, along with an 877.46m-long and 12m-diametre diversion tunnel with a discharge capacity of 1118 cubic metres per second.
- The project also involves a 168.75m-long and 22m-high upper cofferdam and a 102.02m-long and 13.5m-tall downstream cofferdam.
- The Punatsangchhu II hydroelectric power plant will comprise an underground powerhouse which will be equipped with six Francis turbines of 170 MW capacity each.
- On commissioning of all six units, the expected annual power generation will be 4,357 million units of electricity.
