The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has released $6.66 million to the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) for repair and rehabilitation of Tarbela power station. According to Wapda spokesman, the USAID had signed an agreement with Wapda to provide a financial assistance amounting to $16.5 million for Tarbela power station.
The assistance is to be utilised for repair and rehabilitation of three units of the powerhouse, including units 1, 3 and 4. Rehabilitation of the three units will add another 60MW to the installed capacity of Tarbela powerhouse, which is 3478MW at present. The major activities of rehabilitation work include replacement of class-B stator winding of the three units with superior class-F insulation winding.
With the replacement of winding, said spokesman, the capability of unit 4 will enhance by 108MW under over-load condition. Similarly after the repair, the units 1 and 3 each with a capacity of 175 MW would provide additional 40 MW to the national grid. The repair and rehabilitation work of Tarbela power station, undertaken with the USAID financing, is expected to be completed by end of the year 2011.
It is pertinent to mention that in addition to constructing new hydropower projects, Wapda has also undertaken rehabilitation of the electro-mechanical equipment of its aged powerhouses, including Warsak, Tarbela, Mangla, Jabban, Renala etc. It is also worth mentioning that the USAID is also providing another $66 million for completing the Gomal Zam Dam in FATA and Satpara Dam in Gilgit-Baltistan.