Adani Power and Bhutan’s DGPC will develop the 770 MW Chamkharchhu-I project, strengthening energy ties and opening the door to power exports to India….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Adani Power and Bhutan’s state-owned Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) have announced plans to develop the 770 MW Chamkharchhu-I Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan, in a move expected to strengthen the country’s energy security and expand clean power cooperation with India.
The project marks the second major hydropower partnership between Adani Power and DGPC, following an agreement for the 570 MW Wangchhu Hydroelectric Project signed in September 2025. It is also part of a broader 5,000 MW hydropower development Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Adani Group and DGPC in May 2025.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonchen Dasho Tshering Tobgay, along with the country’s Minister of Finance and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Representatives of Druk Holding & Investments Limited, Bhutan Power Corporation, DGPC and Adani Power also attended the ceremony.
Adani Power Managing Director Anil Sardana said the partnership would contribute to energy security and South Asia’s transition towards cleaner sources of power.
“We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with the Royal Government of Bhutan and DGPC through the Chamkharchhu Hydroelectric Project. Hydropower will play a pivotal role in accelerating South Asia’s energy transition, and this project will contribute significantly to enhancing energy security, reducing carbon intensity, and advancing shared sustainability goals,” Sardana said.
The project is expected to help Bhutan meet its peak electricity requirements during the winter months. During periods of surplus generation in summer, the project will enable the export of green power to India, according to the company.
The Chamkharchhu-I project will be located on the Chamkarchhu River in Zhemgang District in central Bhutan.
It will be developed under a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model through a 49:51 equity partnership between Adani Power and DGPC. The concession period will be 30 years from the commercial operation date.
DGPC Managing Director Dasho Chhewang Rinzin said the agreement represented another milestone in Bhutan’s hydropower development and the country’s long-standing energy partnership with India.
“This partnership marks another significant milestone in Bhutan’s hydropower development journey and further strengthens the long-standing energy partnership between Bhutan and India. The 770 MW Chamkharchhu-I Hydropower Project will contribute to strengthening Bhutan’s energy security, particularly during the winter months, while creating opportunities to optimise and export surplus clean energy to India,” Rinzin said.
He said DGPC would work with Adani Power to implement the project and explore further opportunities under the wider hydropower development partnership.
The project is expected to strengthen Bhutan’s clean energy generation capacity and deepen regional energy cooperation. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027, with commissioning targeted six years after groundbreaking.
The development adds to growing cooperation between Bhutan and India in the hydropower sector, with the latest project forming part of the wider 5,000 MW development partnership between Adani Group and DGPC.
