The lower stage of the Basochhu hydro power project being developed by Austria and Bhutan has been inaugurated in Wangduephodrang, in a gathering attended by cabinet ministers and senior officials of the two countries.
The Bhutan Prime Minister Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba and Austria’s Foreign Minister Dr. Ursulla Plassnik switched on the 40MW generators, increasing Bhutan’s total power output to 457MW.
Basochhu’s upper stage was officially commissioned in January 2002, generating 24MW of power. The project will provide electricity for approximately 300,000 people in Bhutan.