The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has awarded a contract valued at around Rs. 442 Billion (US$5.8 billion) to a joint venture of Power China-FWO for the construction of the diversion system, main dam, and access bridge for the 4500MW Diamer Bhasa dam, as well as the 21MW Tangir hydropower project.
Diamer Basha Dam Chief Executive Officer Amir Bashir Chaudhry and authorized representative Yang Jiandu, signed the agreement on behalf of WAPDA and the Joint Venture respectively. Water Resources Federal Minister Muhammad Faisal Vawda, Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing, Water Resources Federal Secretary Muhammad Ashraf, WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd), Pakistan Army Engineer-in-Chief Lt Gen Moazzam Ejaz and FWO DG Maj Gen Kamal Azfar were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the ceremony, Water Resources Federal Minister Muhammad Faisal Vawda said that construction of Diamer Basha Dam will commence in a few weeks. The Minister said that after Mohmand Dam, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in May last year, Diamer Basha is the second mega multi-purpose dam that is to be started in a span of just one year which is unprecedented in Pakistan’s history.
Diamer Basha Dam Project, with a total financial outlay of about Rs. 1406.5 billion, will be completed in 2028. The total financial outlay includes land acquisition and resettlement, confidence building measures for social uplift of local people, and construction of the dam and powerhouses. The project has a gross storage capacity of 8.1 million acre feet (MAF) and power generation capacity of 4500MW, with annual generation of 18.1 billion units per annum.
WAPDA has already awarded the contract for consultancy services for the project to Diamer Basha Consultants Group (DBCG), worth Rs.27.182 billion. The consultancy agreement includes construction design, construction supervision and contract administration of Diamer Basha Dam Project.
The Joint Venture DBCG comprises of 12 national and foreign consulting firms namely NESPAK (Pakistan) [lead], Associate Consulting Engineers(Pakistan), Mott MacDonald Pakistan (Pakistan), Poyry (Switzerland), Montgomery Watson and Harza (MWH) International – Stantec (USA), Dolsar Engineering (Turkey), Mott McDonald International (England), China Water Resources Beifang Investigation, Design and Research Company (China), Mirza Associates Engineering Services (Pakistan), Al-Kasib Group of Engineering Services (Pakistan), Development Management Consultant (Pakistan) and MWH Pakistan (Pakistan).
