A delegation, comprising Executive Directors of World Bank, visited iconic Tarbela Dam on Tuesday, therein they had a detailed round of the Dam, Tarbela 4th Extension, and the under-construction Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project.
At Tarbela 5th Extension, the delegation witnessed construction activities on Inlet, Tunnel and the Power House sites, said a press release.
Chairman WAPDA Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (Retd) accompanied the delegation during the visit. WAPDA’s Member Finance, Member Power, GM (C&M) Water, GM (Tarbela Dam Project), Chief Engineer/Project Director Tarbela 4th Extension, Chief Engineer (O&M) Tarbela 4th Extension and Chief Engineer/ Project Director (Tarbela 5th Extension) along with the Consultants and the Contractors were also present on the occasion.
It was important to note that Tarbela Dam, Tarbela Hydel Power Station and its 4th Extension were completed with financial support of the World Bank. In addition, the Bank is also providing US$ 390 million for under-construction Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project.
Welcoming the delegation, the Chairman said that the World Bank and WAPDA have been partners in progress for more than six decades. We are confident that the World Bank would continue supporting WAPDA for Pakistan’s progress through development of hydro resources in the country, he further said. During the briefing, the delegation was informed that Tarbela Dam had been phenomenally contributing for economic development and social uplift in Pakistan since its completion in 1974. It had released about 411 million acre feet (MAF) of stored water from the reservoir for agriculture besides providing and contributed 597,309 million units of low-cost and environment friendly hydel electricity to the National Grid.
It is important to note that the economic and financial benefits of one MAF of water in Pakistan are estimated at US$ 1 billion, therefore, total benefits accrued so far from Tarbela Dam stand at US$ 411 billion.
It was further briefed that Tarbela is the biggest electricity generation facility in Pakistan with installed capacity of 4888 MW – 51.6 % of the total hydel capacity of WAPDA. The installed capacity at Tarbela will further increase to 6418 MW after completion of the under-construction Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project.
Tarbela 4th Extension, which started generation in 2018, is dubbed ‘Flagship Project’ of the World Bank. Since then, it has provided 27,531 million units of electricity to the National Grid. Regarding Tarbela 5th Extension, the delegation was briefed that construction activities are continuing on all key sites of the Project, while electricity generation will commence in 2026.
The delegation appreciated WAPDA’s contribution for economic stability and social uplift through efficient implementation of hydro projects including Tarbela Dam. The delegation was also informed of the progress on under-construction Dasu Hydropower Project, for which the World Bank is providing financial support to the tune of US$ 1.588 billion. The Project is progressing ahead with construction activities on as many as 13 key sites. Power generation from the Project is scheduled in 2026.
