Breakthrough in Afghanistan: NESPAK awarded $500m Bakhshabad Dam project

Pakistan-based consultant firm to design the dam funded by Kabul.

LAHORE: The National Engineering Services of Pakistan (Nespak), a state-owned organisation of consulting engineers, secured a contract to design a dam in Afghanistan, according to a press statement issued on Wednesday.

Nespak will design the $500 million-dam on the Farah River in Bakshabad, Afghanistan. The contract for the project was signed by the Ministry of Water and Energy, Government of Afghanistan and Nespak.

The project consists of a dam, a powerhouse, attached structures and a barrage 60 kilometres downstream of the site of the dam and irrigation canals. This is the first time a Pakistan company will provide engineering consultancy services for a project in Afghanistan.

The $500 million-dam will be financed by the Afghan government and once completed, it will meet all irrigation and energy requirements of the Farah province.

“The dam’s storage capacity will be more than one billion cubic metres. At the same time, it will be capable of irrigating 68,000 acres of agricultural land and produce about 27 megawatts of electricity, which can meet the electricity needs of Farah Province,” said Muhammad Ismail Khan, Minister of Energy and Water, Afghanistan.

Nespak won the tender for the project through an international open competition. Winning this project in international competition shows consistency with Nespak’s policy of overseas expansion.

The landlocked country will build or refurbish 545 large, medium and small dams. About 111 of these dams were a priority for the ministry.

In November 2012, Nespak was awarded engineering supervision of the Obudu Dam Rehabilitation project in Nigeria.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2013.

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