Feb 10- Mar 5: World Bank to send mission to assess slow progress on Dasu project

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank will dispatch Implementation Support and Progress Review Mission to monitor Dasu Hydropower Project-stage 1 from February 10- March 5, 2025 to assess the progress of the project.

The 242m (794 ft) tall dam will support a 4,320 MW hydropower station, and is being built in two 2,160 MW stages. The plant is expected to start generating power in July 2027. Last month, Ministry of Economic Affairs expressed its serious concern at the slow implementation of 4,320 MW Dasu Hydropower Project (DHP), as formal signing of agreement with additional financing worth $1 billion is pending due to failure to secure approval of the revised PC-1 by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).

The main reason for considerable slowing of progress is due to restrictions on ground transportation of international workers and experts from Islamabad to Dasu and shortage of armoured vehicles for their movement within the project areas.

2,160MW Dasu project: Ministry told to speed up revised PC-1 process

A World Bank Mission which also visited Pakistan from September 2-13, 2024 for attestation of the facts of multibillion-dollar project conveyed dismay at the slow progress of the project.

The mission scheduled for February–March intends to have meetings with the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), Ministry of Energy (Power Division), management of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), Commissioner Hazara. Deputy Commissioners Upper and Lower Kohistan,and the Project Implementation Units (PIU) for DHP-1.

The Mission will be led by the Task Team Leader (TTL) Gunjan Gautam (Senior Energy Specialist) and will include Rikard Liden (Lead Energy Specialist), Masood Ahmad (Senior Advisor). Imran-ul-Haq (Senior Social Development Specialist), Ahmad Imran Aslam (Senior Environmental Specialist), Mohammad Omar Khalid (Senior Safeguards Consultant), Ayalew KebedeBelew (Senior Procurement Specialist), Mirzaomer Baig (Financial Management Specialist), and AmnaMir (Senior Program Associate), Daisy LopezZita (Finance Analyst) will remotely participate in the mission.

The World Bank fielded another Mission on January 15-17, 2025, to continue the ongoing discussion on the potential programme support for the power transmission infrastructure.

Following the identification of four high-priority transmission projects under the Transmission System Expansion Programme (TSEP), the Power Division sought assistance from the development sector, including the World Bank, to strengthen the transmission sector. In response, the World Bank’s energy team, in collaboration with key donor partners such as ADB, ISDB, and USAID, initiated efforts to facilitate the successful preparation of these projects as well as required institutional support to NTDC restructuring plans.

The Mission’s focus was on the following objectives: (i) discuss the WBG review for the techno-economic studies conducted by USAID for the priority transmission projects and next steps;(ii) discuss with the EAD, Ministry of Energy (Power Division), NTDC, and respective stakeholders the request received from EAD for conducting a high-level feasibility study for the Matiari-Moroline, including its scope and requirements; (iii) understand the status of government request for support and coordinate the nomination of a focal point and members of the program implementation unit from NTDC and working arrangement between technical teams; and (iv) develop a work plan and agree on next steps to advance the preparation of the Reactive Compensation Devices (STATCOMS) project, which is critical for system stability and reliably of the north-south bidirectional power flows in the short to medium.

The mission team comprised of Waleed Saleh, Alsuraih (Lead Energy Specialist/Team Lead), Mohammad Anis (Infrastructure Program Leader), Waqas Idrees (Senior Energy Specialist), Azhar Iqbal Hussain (Principal Investment Officer), Imran-ul-Haq (Senior Social Development Specialist) and SarahKhokhar (Social Development Specialist).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025