Nu 166 mn worth of copper cables damaged in fire at P I storehouse

2026-03-09 - 09:04

Around Nu 166 million (mn) worth of copper cables were damaged in a fire that broke out on 21st February at the storehouse of the Punatsangchu Hydropower Project I on the way to Basochhu. The fire occurred at the project’s storehouse at around 11 am to 12 pm, as reported by the store in-charge who was present at the site. Out of the 12 rolls of copper cables stored at the facility, eight were damaged in the incident, resulting in an estimated loss of approximately Nu 166 mn. Commuters passing by the area alerted the police, following which authorities responded to the scene. The fire was eventually contained and extinguished by the PHPA fire and security team. The damaged cables were XLPE insulated copper cables, which are intended to be used in the powerhouse operations of the project, including power generation, transmission and control systems. They were to be used to connect the GIS and the switch grid at the project. The cables were supplied by the contractor Suedkabel. Following the incident, the contractor has contacted Bhutan Insurance Limited, the insurance company responsible for the coverage. The insurance company has directed that the site not be cleared or tampered with as the incident is currently under investigation. Meanwhile, an investigation by the Royal Bhutan Police is ongoing, and authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire. Construction of the Punatsangchu-I Hydroelectric Project started in 2008 and was planned to be completed by 2016, with an estimated cost of over Nu 35 billion. However, geological problems at the dam site have caused long delays, and the project cost has now increased to nearly Nu 100 billion. All internal components of the dam, including the four desilting chambers, were completed in 2015, and the diversion tunnels have also been fully completed. The remaining work is the construction of the main dam, which has now resumed. Earlier, sliding issues were observed on the right bank. After extensive deliberations between the two governments, it was decided to construct the dam at the same location. Preparatory works have begun, including road works upstream and downstream of the dam.