‘Pakistan to add 20,000MW in 10 years’: The News

Friday, November 14, 2008
By our correspondent

LAHORE: Pakistan is likely to add 20,000MW hydro-electricity generation capacities in next 10 years that besides mitigating power shortage would have sobering effect on the average cost of electricity generation.Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman, Shakeel Ahmad Durrani stated this during an interview with The News. He said the major hydro-electric generation would come from Dialmer Basha Dam that would produce 4500 MW electricity, the construction of which would start by second quarter next year. He said earlier, WAPDA was concentrating on mega dams only that served the dual purpose of providing water for irrigation and generating electricity. He said now it has been decided to explore all avenues from where the hydro-electric generation is possible.He said Bunji a run of the river project would produce 5400MW electricity. Engineering of this project has been completed and its tenders would be invited in early 2010. This project would be completed in seven years and its cost is $6 billion. The project would be built on River Indus near Gilgit, he added.He said Dasu is another run of the river electricity generation project, located 2km upstream on Indus River 69km downstream of Diamer Basha dam. He said feasibility study of the project would be completed within this year. He said tentative project cost is $6.5 billion. The project he added should be completed within a decade as its implementation period is estimated to be 7 years.

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