WAPDA Chairman Engineer Sajjad Ghani has directed the consultants and contractors to timely complete the 1530mw under construction Tarbela 5th expansion project. He issued the directives during a visit to the site here to review the construction progress on the project, adding that the project was part of WAPDA’s eco-friendly and low-cost power generation program. Speaking on the occasion, the chairman stressed on the co-ordinated efforts and provision of additional resources. He said that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank was providing $300 million while the World Bank was providing $ 390 million. Under the expansion project, three power generating units are being installed at Tunnel No. 5 of the Tarbela dam project. Each of these units has a production capacity of 510 MW.

Upon completion the project would contribute over one billion units of hydropower to the national grid annually while the power generation capacity of the dam would increase from 4888 mw to 6,418 mw. During a briefing the chairman WAPDA, the Project Director and Construction Manager informed that the support work in the tunnel has been completed after which the construction of the connecting tunnel has been started. The installation of draft tube and other equipment was in progress on the three production units in the power house, while the work on the raised intake structure would also resume when the water in the reservoir reduces to the required level. They further said that work on all the six sites of the project was underway and the project was expected to be completed by 2025-26.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan