Energy in Bhutan

Bhutan electricity production

Energy in Bhutan has been a primary focus of development in the kingdom under its Five-Year Plans. In cooperation with India, Bhutan has undertaken several hydroelectric projects whose output is traded between the countries. Though Bhutan's many hydroelectric plants provide energy far in excess of its needs in the summer, dry winters and increased fuel demand makes the kingdom a marginal net importer of energy from India.[1][2]

Bhutan’s installed power generation capacity is approximately 1.6 gigawatts (GW).[3] Over 99 percent of the country's installed capacity comes from hydropower plants, accounting for 1,614 megawatts (MW) of the country’s total capacity of 1,623 MW in 2018.[3]

More than 99.97 percent of households have access to electricity.[4] As of 2011, the Bhutanese government supplied electricity to 60 percent of rural households,[1] a significant increase from about 20 percent in 2003.[5][6] About 2,500 people use solar power throughout Bhutan.[1] Even where electricity was available for lighting, most rural households cooked by wood fire. Rural homes were often heated with firewood, kerosene, or liquefied petroleum gas.[7]

Bhutan has no natural petroleum or natural gas reserves.[8] The kingdom has some 1.3 million tonnes of coal reserves, but extracts only about 1,000 tonnes of coal yearly, entirely for domestic consumption. Bhutan also imports oil at some 1,000 barrels per day.[5] Most oil imports supplied fuel for automobiles.[9]

Bhutan remains overall carbon-neutral and a net sink for greenhouse gases.[10][11][12] As Bhutan develops and modernizes, however, its domestic demand for energy in household, commercial, and industrial sectors has been steadily increasing.[13]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference BO-adb1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ADB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Renewable Readiness Assessment: Kingdom of Bhutan" (PDF). December 2019.
  4. ^ Gyelmo, Dawa (2020). "Bhutan: Can progress in household electrification provide relief from expensive fossil fuel imports? - Firstpost". First Post. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  5. ^ a b Page, Kogan (2003). "Asia & Pacific Review 2003/04: The Economic and Business Report". Asia and Pacific Review (21 ed.). Kogan Page Publishers: 31. ISBN 0-7494-4063-5. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  6. ^ Brown, Lindsay; Armington, Stan (2007). Bhutan (3 ed.). Lonely Planet. pp. 24, 151, 167, 198. ISBN 978-1-74059-529-2. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  7. ^ Pelden, Sonam (2010-08-31). "From Dung to Clean Energy". Bhutan Observer online. Archived from the original on 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  8. ^ Overview of Energy Policies of Bhutan (PDF). Thimpu, Bhutan: Department of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan. 2009.
  9. ^ Shukla, P. R (2004). Climate Policy Assessment for India: Applications of Asia-Pacific Integrated Model (AIM). Universities Press. p. 146. ISBN 81-7371-484-3. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  10. ^ "Bhutan- Climate Action Tracker". Climate Action Tracker. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  11. ^ Pelden, Sonam (2011-09-05). "Report Underlines Climate Threats". Bhutan Observer online. Archived from the original on 2011-11-26. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  12. ^ Pelden, Sonam (2011-10-11). "Bhutan to Submit its Climate Issues to UNFCCC in Durban". Bhutan Observer online. Archived from the original on 2011-11-27. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  13. ^ Pelden, Sonam (2010-10-03). "Challenge of Powering Growth". Bhutan Observer online. Archived from the original on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2011-11-29.