The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is working on hydropower projects with cumulative generation capacity of about 20,000 MW. Of them, the projects about 7000 MW are in the construction phase, while rest are in the final stage of their detailed engineering designs.
This was stated by WAPDA Chairman Shakil Durrani while addressing a delegation of National Institute of Management (NIM) Peshawar here at WAPDA House on Wednesday. The team was led by NIM Chief. The Chairman said that WAPDA was executing on priority the 969 MW-Neelum Jhelum, 4500 MW-Diamer Basha Dam, 1410 MW-Tarbela 4th extension, 7100 MW-Bunji, 4320 MW-Dasu, 740-MW Munda Dam etc to cope with the increasing demand of power in the country.
These projects would not only help stabilise electricity tariff by increasing ratio of low-cost hydel electricity in the National Grid, but this factor help in reducing the dependence on imported oil. Responding to a question, the Chairman said that WAPDA had procured two state-of-the-art tunnel boring machines to expedite work on strategically important Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project.
At present, about 32 percent construction work is complete, while overall completion of the project is expected by mid 2016, he added. The Chairman, apprising the delegation of technical expertise of WAPDA, said that the first-ever tunnel boring machine in the world was used in Pakistan during construction of the Mangla Dam in 60s. Earlier, the delegation was briefed on water and power sector by WAPDA Chief Engineer (Diamer Basha Dam) Shamshad Muhammad Khan and PEPCO Director General (Energy Management and Conservation) Ejaz Rafiq Qureshi respectively. WAPDA Managing Director (Administration) Naveed Akram Cheema and Secretary Muhammad Imtiaz Tajwar were also present on the occasion.