China Gezhouba Group Third Engineering Co., Ltd. has completed excavation of the 2.9-kilometre upstream section of Diversion Tunnel A2 at the Balakot Hydropower Project, the company said in a notification on Tuesday.

The company said the tunnel excavation was completed on June 17 after work began in June 2024.

It said engineers and workers dealt with complex geological conditions, seasonal rainfall and other technical challenges during the 738-day operation.

Project officials described the breakthrough as an important step in the project’s construction, saying it would support the next stages, including tunnel lining and electromechanical installation.

According to a Gwadar Pro's report, the 300-megawatt Balakot Hydropower Project is being built on the Kunhar River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

China Energy Engineering Corporation is the contractor, with construction being carried out by its subsidiary China Gezhouba Group Third Engineering Co., Ltd.

Once operational, the project is expected to generate about 1.144 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, according to earlier project information.

The project is being developed by the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China