ISLAMABAD - The first unit of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project Muzaffarabad on Friday started providing electricity to the national grid.

A spokesperson for the WAPDA said that following the completion of its reliability test and adjustments, the unit will contribute 242.25 megawatts of electricity to the system for one-month after which its commercial operation will commence.   In another significant development, the unit-II of the project has also undergone mechanical run tests starting from May 16, the spokesperson said. The second unit was expected to be synchronized with the national grid during coming week on a trial basis.

The unit-IV of the project, which was put into operation in April, injected more than 1.3 million units of electricity during the test run. However, during the tests of the unit, the “run outs” exceeded the specifications. Consultants of the project have suggested that for operation for its designated life, its “labyrinth” and “lower sleeve” should be replaced with new ones, for which the contractor has placed an order from the manufacturer, namely Harbin China. The fourth unit is scheduled to go into operation in next three to four months.

The Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project, a component of the hydro-development plan, is being implemented by WAPDA on a priority basis to tap indigenous hydropower potential aimed at improving the ratio of hydel electricity in the system.   

The state-of-the-art hydro project has been constructed on River Neelum in Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.  A 60-meter high and 160-meter long composite dam has been constructed at Nauseri to divert water to an underground powerhouse for power generation near Chattar Kalas through a waterway system that consists of 52-kilometer-long tunnels.

The national grid will receive about 5 billion units of electricity from the hydropower project on an average every year. The annual benefit of the project stands at Rs55 billion.