14 June 2024 — His Majesty The King visited the DSP Solar Initiative project site in Dechencholing today
14 June 2024 — His Majesty The King visited the DSP Solar Initiative project site in Dechencholing today.
The DSP Solar Initiative (DSP-SI), in its first phase, successfully commissioned a 250 kW rooftop solar power plant at the Centenary Farmers Market on May 29, 2023, and a 500 kW ground-mounted solar power plant at Dechencholing on June 9, 2023. Funded by the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTFEC), these projects were completed at a benchmark cost of Nu 54,000 per kW capacity.
Phase II includes an additional 2.1 MW ground-mounted PV system at Dechencholing, a 1.5 MW rooftop solar PV system at the Druk Gyalpo’s Institute in Pangbisa, and an expanded 200 kW rooftop solar PV system at the Centenary Farmers Market. The solar project at Dechencholing was test charged and commissioned on June 1, 2024. Currently, 40 De-suups are engaged in the project under the supervision of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the DSP Solar Initiative.
The Project was initiated upon Royal Command with the objective to diversify the country's energy sources beyond hydropower, leveraging Bhutan's 12 GW solar potential. It is chaired by Dasho Bharat Tamang, member of the Privy Council, who has previously served as the MD of Bhutan Power Corporation.
The DSP Solar Initiative aims to enhance Bhutan's energy security, showcase the country's leadership in environmental conservation, prove the technical and economic feasibility of solar power, and encourage its adoption by both public and private sectors. Additionally, it seeks to develop local expertise in the field through the De-suung Skilling Program.