Rural Electrification Project
BPC is confident it can provide its energy to meet its 10th Plan target by 2013
Rural Electrification Project Although there has been a delay, because of late release of funds, Bhutan Power corporation is optimistic of lighting up all households in Bhutan by June 2013.
“More than 50 percent of rural electrification is completed,” the managing director of Bhutan power corporation, Dasho Bharat Tamang, said yesterday, at the signing of the technical cooperation project for improvement of efficiency for rural power supply (Phase II).
Out of some 40,000 rural households that needed power at the beginning of the 10th plan, almost 20,000 households have been electrified, Dasho Bharat Tamang said. “If you exclude about 5,000 households that have been supplied with solar sets, then 15,000 households are left.”
BPC has 19 months to meet this target set by the present government.
The project, signed by the GNHC, DoE, BPC and JICA yesterday in Thimphu, aims to develop the capacity of BPC in operating and maintaining rural power supply for two and a half years, commencing from the first arrival of JICA experts in Bhutan.
It also aims at providing both short and long time experts, conduct trainings and provide necessary machinery and equipment.
JICA and BPC have been working closely through the two official development assistance (ODA) – rural electrification project (2007-phase I, and 2011-phase II). With phase-I completed in June this year, phase-II will begin with the arrival of experts from Japan.
The target area of the project will be rural areas, where the electricity has been supplied, and will be supplied, by the extension of distribution lines.
Speaking to the media, the resident representative of JICA, Tomoki Nitta, said Japan will support Bhutan to achieve the target of providing electricity for all by 2013.
BPC’s managing director said this project would go a long way in building the institutional capacity to bring efficiency in providing power supply to rural Bhutan. He also said that, once the grid lines are in place, providing electricity to the rural public would not be a major problem.
The project will mainly target BPC’s distribution and customer services department, which is in charge of operating and maintaining the distribution networks.
Source: kuenselonline