Warsak power station: WAPDA awards Rs868m consultancy contract

It is aimed at restoring the power station's production capacity.

LAHORE: Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has awarded a contract for consultancy services worth Rs868 million in competitive bidding for the second rehabilitation phase of the Warsak hydroelectric power station.

A joint venture of four companies, led by Dolsar of Turkey, won the contract, which was signed at the Wapda House. General Manager (Hydel) Development Muhammad Arshad Chaudhry and Dolsar representative Irfan Aker signed the contract. Wapda Chairman Lieutenant General Muzammil Hussain was present on the occasion.

In a statement, Wapda said it had been vigorously implementing a least-cost energy generation plan to produce low-priced hydroelectric power in an effort to overcome shortages in the country. "This plan is aimed at optimal utilisation of indigenous hydroelectric power resources," it said.

In addition to constructing new projects, Wapda has been rehabilitating and upgrading its aging hydel power stations, including the Warsak plant.

Under the second rehabilitation phase, the production capacity of Warsak hydel power station will be restored. Its capacity has dropped to 193 megawatts from 243MW in the wake of aging electro-mechanical equipment.

Rehabilitation works are planned to be carried out at an approved cost of Rs22.25 billion with the objective of regaining the 50MW capacity loss with reliable annual energy generation of 1.14 billion units, upgrading and modernising the old system and achieving another life cycle of 30 to 40 years.

German financial institution KfW and French Development Agency (AFD) are providing a loan of 40 million euros each, while the European Investment Bank is giving 50 million euros for the rehabilitation project.

Warsak is the first main hydroelectric power project executed in Pakistan after independence. The first phase of Warsak dam and hydel power station was completed in 1960-61 consisting of the dam, irrigation tunnels, four power generating units with cumulative capacity of 160MW, a switchyard and a transmission line.

In the second phase, two more generating units of about 83MW were added in 1980-81 to raise the installed capacity to 243MW.

The first rehabilitation of the power station was carried out during 1996-2006 to stabilise the civil structure and recover the lost generation capacity of about 70MW.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2017.

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