‘17 projects underway to generate 20,000MW’

LAHORE: Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) was implementing on priority a least-cost energy generation plan to help reduce electricity shortfall and increase the ratio of low-cost hydrol electricity in the national grid.

WAPDA Chairman Shakil Durrani said “Under the plan, 17 large projects are under construction/at detailed engineering stage, which will generate more than 20,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity and store about 12 million acre feet (MAF) of water.

Presiding over a progress review meeting he emphasise the importance of hydropower to meet the electricity needs in the country.

He urged the project managers to complete these projects within stipulated time. Hydropower is the cheapest electricity generated through indigenous resource of water. The average tariff for hydel electricity is Rs 1.54 per unit as compared to the overall electricity tariff of about Rs 9 per unit.

The meeting was told seven projects with cumulative capacity of more than 1,500 MW are under construction. Out of these, five projects of about 400 MW will be completed in the current year, while the 969 MW-Neelum-Jhelum and the 106 MW-Golen Gol hydropower projects are progressing at a good pace. In addition, the 4,500 MW Diamer Basha Dam with gross storage capacity of 8.1 MAF and the 84 MW-Kurram Tangi Dam with water storage capacity of 1.2 MAF have also been initiated. Besides, the 1,410 MW-Tarbela 4th Extension and the 7,100 MW-Bunji Hydropower Project will soon be available for initiating construction work, as detailed engineering designs of the two projects are almost complete.

Six mega projects are currently in the stage of their detailed engineering designs, including the 740 MW-Munda Dam multipurpose project with storage capapacity 1.3 MAF, the 4,320 MW-Dasu with storage capacity of 1.1 MAF, the 122 MW-Keyal Khwar and three other projects of 1,761 MW