Thimpu (Kuensel/ANN) - The meeting of Indian and Bhutanese top officials of the empowered joint group (EJG) in New Delhi yesterday agreed to the downsizing of the Sankosh hydropower project by almost half.
The project in northern Bhutan will now be a stand-alone hydroelectric project with a capacity of around 2,560 megawatt without the irrigation component. Originally, its capacity was 4,060 megawatt.
In a telephone interview economic affairs secretary Dasho Sonam Tshering who is in New Delhi said the EJG had agreed upon the decision to downsize since it was found economically viable.
He said the Teri hydropower project will now start working on the detailed project report which will have to be submitted to the EJG.
One option earlier was to segregate cost between electricity component and civil works like building irrigation channels sourced from the dam. With this option it was found possible that the project will not be downsized.
Devoting cost entirely on electricity was found uneconomical since it would shoot up price of electricity and discourage buyers.
At 4,060MW capacity, the project would cost more than Nu 210B with a dam height of 265 metres.
If cost segregation was not possible, it was decided the project be downsized and used only for electricity purpose.
"The meeting was positive," Dasho Sonam Tshering said adding the progress of the 10,000MW initiative in meeting the 2020 deadline was on track.
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