Karachi: Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (Retd), alongside a World Bank team, assessed the construction progress of the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project, setting a target completion year of 2025-26 for this significant energy initiative.
According to Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority, the review involved a detailed visit to various key sites of the project including the intake, tunnel, penstock, outlet, powerhouse, tail race culvert, tailrace canal, and switchyard. The project management team presented updates on resource deployment, timelines, and implementation plans aimed at commencing electricity generation by 2025-26. During a meeting at the project office, Chairman Ghani emphasized the need for timely completion to meet the country’s growing energy demands with green and affordable electricity. He urged all consultants and contractors involved to maximize efforts to adhere to the projected timeline.
The Tarbela 5th Extension, under construction on Tunnel No. 5 of Tarbela Dam, is financially supported by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank with contributions of $390 million and $300 million respectively. The extension will enhance the dam’s capacity by 1530 MW, bringing the total to 6418 MW, and is expected to contribute approximately 1.347 billion units of hydel electricity annually to the National Grid.