Patrind Project
The Patrind Hydropower Project is being constructed on river Kunhar and will generate electricity based on run of river design. With a capacity of 147MW, the project shall generate, on average, 632.6 GWh of electricity annually. Since the project is being developed by SHPL as an IPP, SHPL is entering into a 30 year Power Purchase Agreement with National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), Pakistan's gird system operator.
Location
The project is located on the boundary of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) and District Abbottabad of Pakistan, near the city of Muzaffarabad. The majority of the project structures, including the powerhouse, will be located within the territory of AJ&K. However, the diversion tunnel and a part of the weir will be located within territorial limits of District Abbottabad.
The weir side of the project can be reached through Boi Road on right side of river Kunhar at a distance of approximately 12.3 km from Garhi Habibullah. The left bank of river Kunhar lies in AJ&K and can be accessed by a 3.1 km track originating from main road between Muzaffarabad and Garhi Habibullah. The powerhouse side of the project is accessible from lower Chattar, Muzaffarabad where a new bridge is being constructed across river Jhelum as part of the project to access proposed powerhouse site .
Technical Details and Information
The plan of the project is to divert the waters of river Kunhar through a weir, located near village Patrind, and a left bank conveyance system of sandtrap and tunnels to the right bank of river Jhelum, near the city of Muzaffarabad, where a powerhouse will be built. The natural difference of elevation between river Kunhar and river Jhelum, along with a 26 meter crest level weir provides a gross head of 114.5 meters to set up a 147MW power project.
Major project components envisaged under the proposed scheme include a weir structure within the river Kunhar, an intake structure slightly upstream of the weir leading, through a dual-chamber sandtrap, to the headrace tunnel. The headrace tunnel passes through the Lohar Gali ridge towards the river Jhelum. It opens into an underground surge tank at the start of a vertical pressure shaft, that connects with a horizontal pressure tunnel (penstock). The penstock divides into three manifolds conveying design discharge to a surface type powerhouse located on the right bank of the river Jhelum.
Weir
The crest elevation is 757 masl which is approximately 26m high from the river bed. There will be four radial type crest gates each 13 m x 10 m in size. The weir will also accommodate a bridge having deck at elevation 769 masl. The weir is also equipped with three bottom outlets with 3 m diameter each.
Intake Structure
The intake block is located on the left bank of river Kunhar just upstream of the weir. Two intake gates are provided having dimensions of W12 m x H9 m. The facility is also equipped with trashracks.
Sandtrap System
The sandtrap system consists of the two chambers, each of 140 m length. The retaining sediment grain size is > 0.20 mm.
Headrace Tunnels
From the sandtrap a headrace tunnel of 7.0 m internal diameter and a length of 2,182 m, will lead to the surge tank.
Surge Tank and Penstock
Circular concrete lined underground surge tank of 16 m diameter is proposed at the start of vertical pressure shaft to control water hammer.
A circular pressure shaft 79.5 m high and 7.0 m in diameter is proposed in hill mass on the right bank of river Jhelum. The pressure shaft falls down to El. 646.52 masl from where the horizontal pressure tunnel (penstock) of 43.74m length starts. The penstock divides into three manifolds, each having a length of 156 m.
Powerhouse
A surface type powerhouse to accommodate three vertical Francis turbine units, each of 50 MW capacity, is proposed on the right bank of river Jhelum. The powerhouse site is about 8.52 km upstream of the Kunhar Jhelum confluence.
Switchyard
A GIS switchyard is proposed to be constructed on the right bank of river Jhelum. The power from the project will be evacuated through 132 KV double circuit transmission line.