Warsak 2nd Rehabilitation To Regain Lost Generation Capacity

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published December 09, 2016 | 01:10 PM

ISLAMABAD, Dec 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Dec, 2016 ) : Second Rehabilitation Project of Warsak Hydel Power Project will help regain its generation capacity which has decreased to 193 MW from 243 MW due to aging factor of the electro-mechanical equipment.

Officials sources told APP here Friday that Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) was executing 2nd Rehabilitation Project aimed at regaining its lost generation capacity. The rehabilitation works were planned to be carried out with an approved PC-I cost of Rs.22.25 billion with the objective to overcome the aging problems, regain the capacity loss of 50 MW with reliable annual energy generation of 1.14 billion units, upgrade and modernize the old system and achieve another life cycle of 30 to 40 years.

The sources said German financial institution KfW and French Development Agency (AFD) were providing loan to the tune of 40 million Euro each, while European Investment Bank (EIB) was giving 50 million Euro.

The Warsak Dam and Hydel Power Station is located in Khyber and Mohmand agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

It is pertinent to mention that Warsak is the first ever main hydropower project executed in Pakistan after independence.

The project was financed by the Canadian Government under Colombo plan. The first phase of the Warsak Dam and Hydel Power Station was completed in 1960-61 consisting of the dam, irrigation tunnels, four generating units with cumulative capacity of 160 MW, switchyard and transmission line.

With completion of the first phase, power generation capacity of the country became more than double from 152 MW to 312 MW, boosting the economy of the newly-born Pakistan in addition to social uplift of the country.

In the second phase, two more generating units of about 83 MW were added in 1980-81 to raise the installed capacity of the hydel power station to 243 MW. First rehabilitation was carried out during 1996-2006 to stabilize civil structure and recover lost generation of about 70 MW.