Pakistan working on 20,000MW hydropower projects

Hydropower projects with cumulative generation capacity of about 20,000MW are currently in progress in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority is currenlty constructing about 7,000MW while the rest of them are in the final stage of their detailed engineering designs.

This was stated by Wapda Chairman Shakil Durrani, reports the Dawn.

The chairman said the authority was executing on priority 969MW Neelum Jhelum, 4,500MW Diamer Bhasha Dam, 1,410MW Tarbela 4th Extension, 7,100MW Bunji, 4,320MW Dasu, 740MW Munda Dam etc. to cope with the increasing demand of electricity 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 also rid dependence on imported oil.

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 per cent construction work is complete, while overall completion of the project is expected by mid 2016, he said.