TARBELA, Feb 26 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Wednesday performed the ground-breaking of the US 928 million dollar 4th expansion of the Tarbela Dam Hydropower Project, designed to increase production of low-cost electricity to meet country’s growing energy needs. The project will be completed with a US 840 million financial assistance by the World Bank and will increase dam’s ability by 1,410 megawatts of electricity, against its current hydropower capacity of 3,478 megawatts. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif unveiled a plaque marking the historic moment and said that Tarbela-IV Extension Hydropower Project heralds the beginning of a new era of socio-economic development in the country.
He said that it was also a manifestation of the government’s resolve to provide relief to the common man and boost economic development through addition of low-cost electricity.
The Prime Minister said the worst energy outages, faced by the people of country for last many years, were the result of sustained policy neglect.
He said the successive governments could not address the imperative of increasing power generation in view of escalating needs of economy and population growth.
He said that the credit for putting together the first-ever holistic National Power Policy, goes to the present democratic government, which had been prepared in consultation of federating units and other stakeholders.
He said the government was very clear that the country cannot be put on the trajectory of socio-economic development unless development of most efficient and consumer-centric low-cost power generation was ensured.
The Prime Minister said in order to resolve the crisis, the Ministry of Water and Power, through WAPDA, was working on a number of water and hydropower projects under medium and long-term plans.
On completion, these projects will not only contribute thousands of megawatt of low-cost electricity but also store millions of acres feet of water.
The phased induction of hydel power into the system would reduce the dependence on costly thermal power which will provide a substantial relief to the masses, he added.
About other major hydel power initiatives of the government, the Prime Minister mentioned Diamer-Basha Dam (4500 MW), Dasu (4320 MW) and Bunji (7100 MW) and stated that he had already directed the Ministry of Water and Power and other concerned organizations to accelerate these projects.
Chairman WAPDA Syed Raghib Ali Shah briefed the Prime Minister about the project and highlighted its salient features.
The Prime Minister was informed that the capacity of Tarbela Hydel Power Station would increase from existing 3478 MW to 4888 MW after the completion of the 4th Extension. The project, thus, would add 1410 MW of cheap hydel electricity of the national grid.
On this occasion, he appreciated the World Bank for financial assistance of $ 840 million for construction of this project.
The Prime Minister was briefed that the Tarbela 4th Extension Project will contribute about 4 billion units of low-cost and environment-friendly electricity to the national power system every year.
Annual monetary benefit of the project has been estimated to be Rs. 30 billion and it will pay back the cost incurred on its construction in a short span of three years.
He was told that the project will be completed in a period of three and a half years.
The Prime Minister said that the delays, over-costing and escalations would not be tolerated in the project.
He was told that as per initial study, Tarbela-V Extension Project will generate 1320 MW electricity and Austrian Government has shown its keen interest to finance the project.
The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Water and Power to take up feasibility of Tarbela-V Extension Project and both Tarbela IV and V projects be started simultaneously.
It was highlighted that WAPDA was looking forward to savings of around US 200 million dollars from the Fourth Expansion Project and was approaching the World Bank for roll-over of funds into the Tunnel 5 Project.
The Prime Minister directed that in view the severe shortage of electricity in the country, there was a need for fast paced work on Tunnels 4 and 5 simultaneously. He asked Chairman WAPDA to conduct a feasibility in this regard.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed that all efforts be undertaken to ensure that the project be completed before the scheduled time in 2016, instead of 2017.
The Chairman said due to the liability of WAPDA to provide irrigational water for the crops, it was difficult to get an earlier completion, however he assured that all aspects will be studied to bring the completion date earlier.
He said that the new hydropower plant will be added to the existing water tunnel No 4, that was initially designated as an irrigation tunnel, and will now be converted into a power tunnel without affecting its irrigation capabilities.
Under the project three generating units of 470 MW each will be installed.
Already 14 power units have been installed on 3 tunnels that are generating 3478 MWs.
The Chairman WAPDA later told APP that the per unit cost through the project was estimated to be about Rs 2 per unit as compared to around Rs 18 by thermal generation.
He termed it an environment-friendly project that fully complied with international safeguards and no additional land would be required or fresh resettlement issue would crop up.
On completion, the project was expected to add 3.84 billion units of low cost electricity to the national grid per annum. The annual benefit of the project was estimated to be about Rs 30.7 billion that will pay back its cost in only three years.
The project would also save approximately one million tons of furnace oil, that would be required for generating an equal amount of electricity.
Completed in 1974, the Tarbela Dam is the world’s largest earth- and rock-filled structure, over the Indus River. Initially its installed capacity was 700 MW, that was later raised to 3,478 MW.
Tarbela Dam’s existing hydropower facilities supply about 16% of the electricity generated in Pakistan.
Later, Secretary Interprovincial Coordination (IPC) Ijaz Chaudhry also gave a briefing to the Prime Minister on development of tourist site in Tarbela.
The Prime Minister was informed that three sites had been identified for development of water sports, theme park, restaurant and water jetty.
The Prime Minister directed to perform a legal review of the devolution of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC).
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid, Minister for Water and Power Khwaja Asif and Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf.
Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - PM performs ground-breaking of 4th Tarbela Expansion Project
