ISLAMABAD
Water and Power Development Authority has approached Indus River System Authority for issuing No Objection Certificate for the 1,410 megawatts Tarbela 5th extension hydropower project, it was learnt reliably here.
Economic Committee of the National Economic Council approved in principle the PC-I moved by the Ministry of Water and Power regarding 1410 MW Tarbela 5th extension hydropower project at an updated cost of Rs 81,091 million. The Economic Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) also directed the sponsor of the project obtain No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Indus River System Authority (IRSA).
As per the directive of the ECNEC, the Water and Power Development Authority approached IRSA for the issuance of NOC but the authority asked it to provide the feasibility report prior to their decision, official source told The Nation yesterday.
The authority further asked WAPDA to send the project experts to brief the members of IRSA about Tarbela 5th extension project, the source said.
Tarbela 5th extension aims at installing three additional power generating units at Tarbela reservoir having capacity of 470MW each in existing tunnel five without affecting the flow of water released for irrigation purpose. IRSA is responsible for the control of water releases and maintaining the required water level in Tarbela reservoir as per the provinces share and requirements. The first purpose of water release from Tarbela is to meet the irrigation requirements of the provinces.
The sources further said that earlier the ministry of planning also asked the sponsor of the project to rationalize the cost of the project by reducing it by at least 10 percent and a committee was also constituted for the purpose. It is pertinent to mention that work on the Tarbela fourth extension is already in progress and will be completed by summer 2017.
The risk related to the project is low and reward is high which will add more than 1.8 billion units of cheap hydel electricity to national grid per annum. Tarbela 5th extension will help generate electricity worth approximately $300 million.
‘expedite work on Neelum-Jhelum project’
Staff reporter from Lahore: Reviewing the pace of construction work on the 969 MW-Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP), WAPDA Chairman Zafar Mahmood urged upon the project authorities to further expedite their efforts, so that the strategically important project could come on line in accordance with the revised completion schedule.
He expressed these views during his visit to rock burst-torn Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) site at Mujhoi, Jhelum Valley in Azad Jammu & Kashmir. NJHP Chief Executive Officer Engineer Muhammad Zubair, Project Director, the consultants and the contractors also accompanied him during the visit.
As per revised schedule, first generating unit of the project is expected to be completed in July 2017, whereas the remaining three units will come on line by the end of 2017 in various phases.
The Wapda chairman appreciated the unflinching commitment and devotion of the project authorities in implementing this extremely precarious project. He said that most of the critical targets relating to construction of the project have been successfully achieved, therefore, WAPDA is confident to complete the project as per the timelines. During the visit, he also witnessed excavation of tunnel through the TBM at rock burst site. He was briefed that the TBM, affected in 31May 2015 due to severe rock-burst phenomenon, was restored on January 9, 2016. The Chief Executive Officer apprised the chairman that both TBMs deployed at the project have been functioning satisfactorily. He further informed the chairman that installation of three hydraulic gates at the dam site (Nauseri, Neelum Valley) shall be completed by 15 March 2016. Overall progress on the project is 78.5 percent, he added.
Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Company is constructing a world class underground power generation facility. The project envisages 90% construction work under high mountainous overburden and only 10% above the surface. The project, on its completion, will contribute 5.15 billion units of low-cost and environment friendly electricity to the national grid.