EPFL supports Bhutan to develop its hydroelectric potential
© Mélanie Guittet
The small Himalayan country only exploits 5% of its hydropower potential. Several EPFL laboratories have partnered to help Bhutan establishing a research and development center to promote this renewable energy.
As large as Switzerland, but populated by only 750 000 people - often Buddhists - Bhutan assesses its public policies in terms of Gross National Happiness. This includes the preservation of centuries-old traditions, a great religiosity and a reasonable permeability to globalization. But for this country relegated to the 162nd place (out of a total of 188) in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), happiness is also contingent on the economy. A promising avenue is the promotion of hydropower, since only 5% of its potential is currently exploited.
The four existing dams account for only 1.5 GW, while the total hydro potential is estimated to lie between 30 and 40 GW. By comparison, all the Swiss hydropower plants amount to 16.6 GW of installed capacity. The Bhutanese government has launched an international call for tender to find a partner to help develop this valuable resource, essentially the only endogenous one. EPFL, in association with the company BG Consulting, has taken up this challenging task. And the EPFL-BG team was chosen purely on qualitative criteria. In addition to undeniable skills, convergence points between two mountainous countries which both see their glaciers melt under the effect of global warming abound…
In the parliamentary monarchy, hydropower is also one of the main sources of income, weighing 12% of GDP. Almost 100% of the electricity consumed comes from hydro and Bhutan exports its excess production, especially to India. But the country also wants to ensure a guaranteed electricity supply even in the most remote regions and at the same time increase this revenue source. The equation is however not so simple: if the potential exists with nearly 3,000 glacial lakes for a total of about 78 billion m3 of water, global warming could limit these resources. According to the most recent IPCC report, glaciers will have melted almost completely in 2030, drying up some of the hydroelectric windfall. How then is it possible to optimally benefit from these resources while maintaining a long-term vision?
A unique opportunity
"Our mandate is to provide a roadmap to create a center for research and development, which will then be able to study the issues of hydropower development in Bhutan, says Mélanie Guittet, research associate at the Energy Centre and a member of the project team. The vision of such a center encompasses all the activities required from strategic planning to construction, operation and maintenance of hydropower plants, to research in the field of hydraulics. "In addition to the Energy Center, this project involves the Laboratory of Hydraulic Constructions (LCH), the Laboratory of Hydraulic Machines (LMH), the Management of Network Industries Chair (MIR), and the private company BG Consulting.
"For the EPFL and the Energy Center, this is a unique opportunity to highlight the expertise of EPFL in the hydroelectric field, says Mélanie Guittet. In addition, it is also an opportunity to implement various institutional linkages through students exchange, international projects with Bhutan, internships and to access a wealth of otherwise inaccessible data. "