Neelum-Jhelum’s second unit starts power generation

The project will gradually achieve maximum generation capacity of 242.25MW

LAHORE: Following completion of mechanical test run, the second unit of Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric power project was successfully synchronised on Wednesday with the national grid.

The unit has generated up to 185 megawatts of electricity on a trial basis and will gradually achieve its maximum generation capacity of 242.25MW in due course of time. The second unit will also undergo reliability test and go through the reliability period in accordance with contractual obligations.



Third unit of the project, which has been in the 30-day reliability period since May 18, is also contributing 242.25MW of electricity at full capacity to the national grid.

The hydroelectric power project has so far injected about 90 million units of electricity to the system, which is equal to a revenue of Rs1 billion.



The 969MW Neelum-Jhelum power project has four generating units, each of them having generation capacity of 242.25MW. Overall, the project is scheduled to be completed by July this year.

Last week, the government approved the Neelum-Jhelum project at a final cost of Rs506.8 billion, but turned down requests for fixing responsibility for mismanagement and alleged corruption by some bureaucrats and retired generals.



While approving fourth revision in the project’s cost, the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) set aside corruption and mismanagement allegations. The project had been initially approved at a cost of Rs15.2 billion in 1989.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2018.

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