Punatsangchhu II delayed again

The much-awaited hydropower project of Bhutan Punatsangchhu II has been delayed by a year, that has already been marred by rising costs and delay

The 1,020MW Punatsangchhu II Hydroelectric Project, which was scheduled to commission by July 2023, would be delayed by more than a year – until October 2024. 

Started in 2010 with initial estimated budget of Nu 37B, the project was supposed to be completed in 2017. But a landslide in the powerhouse in 2016 and current COVID pandemic have been blamed for the delay. Project’s revised costs now is Nu 93B. 

The critical part left of the project is to excavate the downstream surge gallery (DSSG). In 2016, the DSSG collapsed in the powerhouse following loose soils being dislodged.