AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Lahore, October 16, 2012 (PPI-OT): In yet another significant development towards completion of the 121 megawatt (MW) – Allai Khwar Hydropower Project, water filling in the reservoir has been started today. With filling of the reservoir, the project has entered its completion stage, and the project, comprising two generating units of 61.5 MW each, is likely to start electricity generation by the end of October 2012 on trial basis.
Other main components of the project including a dam (weir), the 2.3-kilometer long steel-lined tunnel, structure of the power house and switchyard have already been completed. Environment-friendly Allai Khwar Hydropower Project, on its completion, will generate 560 million units of low-cost hydel electricity per annum, which will result in saving million of dollars on the corresponding generation of costly thermal energy.
Allai Khwar – one of the three high-head hydropower projects – is being constructed on Allai Khwar, a tributary of Indus River in district Battagram of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The other two high-head hydropower projects include the 72 MW-Khan Khwar and the 130 MW-Duber Khwar. Following completion of the Khan Khwar Hydropower Project, which was formally inaugurated by the Prime Minister couple of months ago, the Duber Khwar Hydropower Project is also nearing completion and expected to be completed in early 2013.
Allai Khwar Hydropower Project is a part of least-cost energy generation plan of WAPDA being executed on priority to cope with the increasing needs of electricity and water in the country. Under the plan, WAPDA is working on 20 large and medium-sized projects with cumulative electricity generation capacity of 20000 MW and water storage capacity of 12 million acre feet (MAF). Of these projects, six multipurpose schemes with power generation capacity of over 400 MW and water storage capacity of 1.23 MAF will be completed in the year 2012 and early 2013.
For more information, contact:
Muhammad Abid Rana
Director Public Relations
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)
G-32, WAPDA House, Lahore
Tel: +9242 9920 2633 and +9242 9920 2211 -2033 -2029
Cell: +92333 445 8293
Email: mabidrana@gmail.com