World Bank to provide $850 million for Tarbela extension

Project to be completed in four years, will generate extra 1,410MW.

LAHORE: The World Bank will provide about $850 million for the fourth Tarbela Extension Project. The project is expected to be completed in four years, and will generate an additional 1,410 megawatts (MW) of electricity. After completion of the extension project, the generation capacity of Tarbela Power Station will rise to 4,888 MW.

This was revealed by Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Member Syed Raghib Abbas Shah while addressing a delegation of the Pakistan Navy War College here at Wapda House today.  He said that in view of the increasing needs of water and power in the country, Wapda is implementing a number of projects in the two sectors. Diamer-Bhasha Dam, with gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre feet (MAF) and power generation capacity of 4,500 MW; Bunji (7,100 MW) and Dasu (4,320 MW) hydropower projects; Munda Dam multipurpose project, with gross water storage capacity 1.29 MAF and power generation capacity 740 MW; and Kurram Tangi Dam, with gross water storage capacity 1.2 MAF and power generation capacity 84 MW, are to name a few, he added. These three projects will be completed this year, while 969-MW Neelum Jhelum and 106-MW Golen Gol hydropower projects are scheduled to be completed in 2016, Abbas said.

Earlier, Wapda General Manager Planning Hasnain Afzal, while briefing the delegation, said that 20 million acres of virgin land could be developed for agriculture, provided water is made available by constructing new dams. He also informed the delegation about Wapda’s achievements, future projects, and new initiatives. Pakistan Electric Power Company Coordination and Monitoring General Manager Ziaur Rehman briefed the delegation about the electricity demand and supply scenario, the national power sector energy plan and issues related to electricity tariff.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2012.