Does Bhutan need long-term energy security?

With growing demand, where the peak power demand has outpaced firm power supply by 125% in 2024 which is expected to increase further, securing the country’s long-term energy security has become ever more a priority. For Bhutan, long-term energy security means meeting winter demands when our hydropower generation ebbs to the lowest.

Why do we need a renewable base in Bhutan?

Recently, the need to expand renewable base in Bhutan's energy system has felt strongly, firstly to diversify the energy sources for enhancing energy security, and secondly, because of an unequivocal consensus from the global climate scientists about the potential threat on the energy resources, particularly hydropower due to climate change.

Does Bhutan have a national strategy for energy security?

Bhutan imports power every winter months, when the demand is at peak and generation is at lowest point. This tantamount Bhutan to be an importer of electricity despite abundance of renewable energy resources at its disposal. Therefore, suggests apparent lack of national strategy centering energy security.

What drives Bhutan's energy policy?

Examining from energy security perspective, Bhutan's energy policies seem to be driven by natural resource endowments, rather than national strategy. Hydropower is accorded with highest national priority due to availability of huge hydropower potential favored by rugged geographical terrain, and considering that the resource is clean.

Is Bhutan ready for energy self-sufficiency?

Bhutan continues to import electricity, especially during winter months when demand spikes, and it has only heightened with electricity imported from the energy exchange with effect from January 2022. Given enormous renewable energy resource endowment, it is critical that Bhutan prepares for energy self-sufficiency using its own resources.

Which fuel is considered a mainstream fuel in Bhutan?

Contextualizing into Bhutan's energy context, four different types of fuels (renewable, coal, oil, gas in the form of LPG) have been considered as mainstream fuels as there is no nuclear and other renewable energy (geothermal, etc.) in the current institutional arrangement.