Largest producer faces power shortage
The stories of black evenings are common in Nepal and India, for they lack adequate power supply to meet the consumer demands. But Bhutan remained exception to this; at least the country supplies power to those bulbs where wires are connected. To remain out of connection, which is the story of many villages, is the other thing to consider.
Comparatively, this kingdom is the largest producer of electricity in the sub-continent in recent years and major bulk of national revenue is generated from this power, exported to India. 11,000 MW are awaited in the next ten years. Sankosh alone will produce 4060 MW, agreement has been signed recently for this.
Still, the situation is under the scanner. The country today produces some 1500 MW in peak season — when the rivers are fed with monsoon rains. But the dry seasons are torturous for citizens. The county has already started facing shortage of power for industrial estates in Pasakha, Phuentsholing. The primary reason is drying rivers.
The dry season production in the country is as low as 300, even below that. As per the agreement, the government has no authority to divert the power supplied to India for use inside the country. India is already facing shortage and is not in situation to let Bhutan downsize its export. The government has the obligation to fill the quota for India and this will eventually affect national consumers.
It will not be astonishing news if Bhutan announces load-shedding hours within the next few years. This seems certain looking at the drying rate of rivers in the country and increasing rate of power consumption. The power producing capacity of the rivers is declining in winters and efforts are on foot to build reservoir-based plants. This isn’t possible in all rivers, only some of them have beds and flatlands to build such reservoirs.
The rivers in the country originate in high Himalayas that are covered with snow for most year round. With climate change, the level of snow is dwindling. Two thirds of the Himalayan glaciers are shrinking at an average of 10 to 60 meters per year. It means, in years to come, the snow-fed rivers will run dry during winters. This in turn will force Bhutan to shut its power plants for months in dry seasons. The GLOF havoc in southern plains due increasing rate of glacier melts is the other story to write, beyond imagination and out of control.
India has agreed to purchase all power generated in the country but this South Asia leader has already started looking for alternative to energy sources in future. Nuclear agreement with US is part of the parcel and the country is well prepared to produce electricity through nuclear power by the time Himalayas dies up. What Bhutan is preparing to face this disaster?