Cheap electricity will help in decreasing reliance on import
of expensive fuel for thermal
power generation
ISLAMABAD - Construction work on 1530 MW-Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project will be started from July this year as Wapda endeavours to add more than 9000 MW to the national grid from year 2022 to 2028.
Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower, scheduled to commence electricity generation by mid-2024, will provide 1.347 billion units per annum to the national grid and it will increase the installed power generation capacity at Tarbela dam from 4888 MW to 6418 MW.
The contract for civil works of the 1530 MW-Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project had been awarded to Power Construction Corporation of China Limited (PCCCL). This project is being constructed on Tunnel No. 5 of Tarbela dam with approved PC-I of $ 807 million. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), World Bank is providing $ 390 million, while Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to the tune of $ 300 million.
The expansion of Tarbela dam was designed in stages. In 1980, the first four units were added on Tunnel 1 with an installed capacity of 700 MW. The second extension increased this to 1,750 MW in 1985 through the addition of 6 units to Tunnel 2. The third extension, adding 3 units of 432 MW in 1993, increased capacity to 3,478 MW. In March 2012, a fourth extension was approved to install a power plant of 1,410 MW on the fourth tunnel. The power plant became operational in 2018, increasing the dam’s installed capacity to 4,888 MW, confirmed the official data of the project.
Cumulative generation capacity of T5 project stands at 1530 MW with three generating units of 510 MW each.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Muzammil Hussain visited site of the project located at Tarbela dam to review on ground the preparedness level for mobilisation of the contractor to the site and start of construction work on the project, scheduled to be commenced in July this year.
During the visit, Wapda chairman had a detailed round of tunnel number 5, sites of the power house and switch yard and intake of the power house. He was briefed about mobilisation of the contractor and timelines for overall implementation of the project. Wapda Member (Water) Abdul Zahir Khan Durrani, Member (Power) Jamil Akhtar, Authority’s Advisor Nasir Hanif, project management and representatives of the consultants were also present during the visit.
Speaking on the occasion, the Wapda chief said that T5 is yet another landmark project, being constructed by Wapda under its least-cost energy generation plan to meet increasing demand of energy in the country through indigenous clean and green hydel electricity. T5 is one of the 10 mega projects Wapda is implementing to double the existing hydel generation with addition of more than 9000 MW to the National Grid in just eight years from year 2022 to 2028-29 in phased manner. The addition of this cheap electricity will help stabilise the power tariff by decreasing reliance on import of expensive fuel for thermal power generation, he added.
Underlining the importance of timely completion of the hydropower projects for national economy, Wapda chairman directed T5 project management to strictly adhere to the timelines set for completion of the project with no compromise on the stipulated standards of construction work.