Jabban hydropower project begins test run

Work on reconstructing 22MW power station completed.

LAHORE: Following completion of civil and electro-mechanical work on the French-funded 22-megawatt Jabban Hydroelectric Power Station, the first unit of the project successfully started a test run on Wednesday.

The power station will start providing electricity to the national grid very soon.

French Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud and Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Syed Raghib Abbas Shah were present at a ceremony held to mark the event. French Development Agency (AFD) Vice President Gregory Clemente also attended the ceremony.



Jabban Power Station has been reconstructed on Swat Canal System in Malakand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at a cost of about Rs3.75 billion, of which AFD has provided 25 million euros (about Rs3.4 billion) as a soft loan. The power station will contribute 122 million units of cheap electricity to the national grid.

Speaking on the occasion, the French ambassador underlined the commitment to helping resolve the energy crisis in Pakistan. He praised Wapda for executing the project without cost overruns or delay.

Earlier, the Wapda chairman expressed hopes that cooperation between French institutions and Wapda would deepen in the future for the development of the water and hydropower sectors in Pakistan.

Senator Nisar Muhammad Khan, in his address, highlighted the importance of the project for the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2013.

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