The Chairman of Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (Retd), has called for additional resources to be deployed to accelerate the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project – with the aim to commence electricity generation by 2025-26. The project, located at Tunnel No. 5 of Tarbela Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is a key component of WAPDA’s green energy initiative.
During a recent visit, Chairman Ghani inspected the construction sites, including the raised intake, powerhouse, and tunnel. He was accompanied by senior officials from WAPDA and project consultants. They provided updates on the progress across various components such as the intake, penstock and outlet, power house, tail race culvert, canal, and switch yard.
In a subsequent meeting at the project office, the Chairman received a detailed presentation on the project’s key components and progress benchmarks. Emphasizing the need to expedite work, he directed the contractor to allocate additional resources to meet the project’s timelines. He also stressed the importance of adhering to quality standards.
The Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project, funded by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank with a combined investment of $690 million, will add 1530MW to Pakistan’s power grid through three generating units of 510 MW each. The project is expected to produce 1.347 billion units of hydel electricity annually, increasing Tarbela Dam’s installed capacity from 4888 MW to 6418 MW.
