Identification of Suitable Sites

for
Hydropower Generation Stations in Bhutan

Sherab Dorji and Sonam Tashi

CST, Phuentsholing. Bhutan
 Contents
Introduction
Objectives
Data sources
Methodology
Result
3D visualization
 Introduction
Bhutan is a mountainous country and its
altitude varies from 200 to 3800 meters
It receives high amount of precipitation.
The southern parts are located in the direction of
monsoon winds and receive high rainfall during
summers
northern parts have high altitude and receive
snowfall during the winter season
Overall water regime is quite high
 Introduction
high degree slopes and availability of flowing
water around the year provide natural
conditions for development of clean and
renewable energy resources i.e. hydropower
generation.
More than 65% of Bhutans economic growth
is from Hydropower generation
To ensure, no village/household is without
electricity supply
 Objectives
Identification of Suitable Sites for constructing
Hydropower Generation Stations in various
parts of Bhutan
 Data sources
The office of censes commissioner
Location of settlements 2005
Road Map of Bhutan

USGS website
Digital Elevation Data (SRTM)

Ministry of Agriculture
Landuse Map of Bhutan
River map of Bhutan
 Methods

Scanning the analogue maps

Defining coordinate system Geo-referencing the
scanned maps
Preparing required thematic layers
Delineating catchments of major rivers
Terrain Preprocessing i.e. fill sinks, flow direction,
flow accumulation, stream definition, stream
segmentation and catchments grid delineation
In stream definition we specified the minimum
area required for each catchment
 Methods

In stream definition we specified the minimum

area required for each catchment
 Methods

After the identification of catchment area for

all major rivers of Bhutan, we calculated the
average rainfall and annual precipitation
 Methods
We selected the catchment having largest
area and highest annual precipitation
Extraction of the Selected area is done
using Analysis tools and Spatial Analysis
tools
Extraction of all other features such as
rivers, roads, settlements, households,
agricultural land, protected zones etc.
including SRTM
 Methods
Terrain Preprocessing is also done for the
rivers in the selected catchment area
Sub-catchments are identified with the
specified minimum area required
Average rainfall, annual precipitation and
discharge calculated for each sub-catchment
Intersection for roads and rivers and
Buffering are done for all the features
 Methods
Geology reclassification of the selected
catchment area
 Methods
Slopes were re-classified as per the
defined criteria of suitability
Suitable slopes: less than 30 Degrees
Not - Suitable slopes: more than 30 Degrees
Three suitable sites selected for the
reservoirs
 Results
Area that is going to be submerged by
each reservoir are:
Reservoir_1:104000000sq.meters
Reservoir_2: 98500000sq.meters
Reservoir_3: 41800000sq.meters
 Future scopes
Volume of the reservoirs.
To find the power generation capacity if
head required is known.
 3D visualization
Structures and Reservoirs
Settlements and agricultural areas
Protected zones
Structures and Reservoirs

Reservoir1

Reservoir2

Resevoir3
Settlements and agricultural areas
Protected zones