PTC inks pact for 720 MW Mangdechhu plant in Bhutan

PTC India on Monday said that it has signed an agreement with Bhutan's Druk Green Power Corporation for buying surplus power from the 720 MW Mangdechhu hydro-power plant in Bhutan for the next 35 years.

The government has designated PTC as the nodal agency from Indian side to purchase surplus power from Bhutan, a company statement said.

The power purchase agreement was signed on Saturday, it said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Mangdechhu power plant on August 17, 2019, in the presence of his Bhutanese counterpart.

"With the commissioning and starting of supply from Mangdechhu, the PTC will be managing around 2,130 MW of hydro capacity from Bhutan," PTC India Chairman and Managing Director Deepak Amitabh said.

The Mangdechhu plant is a 720 MW run-of-river power project built on theMangdechhu river in Trongsa Dzongkhag district of central Bhutan. The project is funded by a mix of debt and grant from India.

The project is estimated to generate 2,923 GWh (2.923 billion units) of electricity and offset 2.2 Mt of CO2 a year. The energy generated will be transmitted to India through Jigmeling and Salakati sub-station.

The Ministry of Power has allocated this electricity to the states of Assam, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal.