Alstom and Druk Green to provide hydropower services in Bhutan

Alstom and Druk Green will provide repair services for hydro runners and other underwater parts of hydropower plants.

A state-of-the-art hydropower service centre will be established by the groups at Jigmeling, Gelephu under Sarpang Dzongkhag district of Bhutan.

This strategic partnership will be implemented as a joint venture with a shareholding of 49% for Alstom and 51% for Druk Green.

The corresponding agreement was signed in Bhutan by Dasho Chhewang Rinzin, Managing Director, Druk Green and Alain Spohr, Unit Managing Director, Alstom Hydro India.

This will be the first Service Centre in the country and it aims to create 160 new jobs in Bhutan. The Service Centre is expected to employ 62 employees in the first year of operation and plans to ramp up to 160 employees when the Centre reaches its full capacity utilization. The Service Centre construction is planned to be completed within 27 months from the signing of this agreement.

Considering the huge impact the hydropower sector has had on the socio-economic development of the country, the Royal Government of Bhutan has embarked on a mission to achieve 10,000 MW installed capacity by 2020 in cooperation with the Government of India.

The inception of the Service Centre is a step towards the fulfilment of this commitment. With this agreement, Alstom, together with Druk Green, aims to support the national drive for investment and employment in the promising Bhutanese Hydro market while maintaining close proximity with its customers.

“This joint undertaking to build a high-tech Service Centre is a result of the close relationship we have with Druk Green and of our desire to work with local partners to develop highly-skilled local capabilities. The new Service Centre is a key element in Alstom’s growth plans in the region and demonstrates our commitment to serve Bhutan Hydro market and more generally to be close to our customers in the region,” said Mr. Francois Carpentier, Vice President, Thermal and Renewable Power, Alstom India.

India intends to achieve some of the new additions through tapping the vast hydropower potential of its north-eastern states that neighbour Bhutan. These new hydropower plants will also require similar repair work as those in Bhutan and provides opportunity for the Centre to provide similar services to these plants.