Another Golen Gol unit added to national grid

Mardan superintendent says it will save up to Rs9 billion annually

DIR: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Saturday added another unit of Golen Gol Hydropower Project to the national grid after conducting power supply test.

Wapda has installed new 180 km transmission line from Chitral to Timergara at an altitude of 10,312 feet above the sea level.

As many as 706 transmission towers including 141 towers of 132 kilo-volt and 565 towers of 220 kilo-volt have been erected on the snow-clad mountain peaks including that of Lowari Top.

National grid Mardan Superintendent Muhammad Rahim told The Express Tribune that the project would earn Rs1 billion annually, and save up to Rs9 billion per annum.

“Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has a great potential of power generation,” Rahim said, but added that resources and sponsors for these initiatives were also essential.

“We hope that Malakand division will have zero load-shedding once the power generation and supply start,” he said.

The Golen Gol power project would contribute 108MW to the national grid and also be helpful in water supply to the local agriculture sector, he added.

The project has been completed with the collaboration of SAMBU SARCO Engineering and Construction Company, Korea. Besides, Saudi Fund has provided $97.8 million for the Lot-2; Kuwait Fund has sponsored $37million for Lot 3.1 and 3.2; OFID Fund has given $30 million for Lot-4 Pak-1&2; and USAID has funded $35 million for Lot3.2.

On the occasion, chief engineer Abduallah Saleh from Saudi Arabia visited the site and was brief about the power generation to facilitate the militancy-hit people in Malakand division. He lauded the efforts of the workers and added that the Saudi government would continue its effort for investing in various sectors in the country to improve its economy.