In a claim taller than Burj Khalifa, Federal Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Muhammad Asif has stated that Pakistan’s electricity issues will be completely resolved by early 2018. The ministry assured that not only power shortages will be resolved but there will be surplus electricity in the country.
The announcement has been made during a signing ceremony of two vital contracts with China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) for main civil works on the Dasu hydroelectric power project. The first contract MW-01 amounts to Rs115 billion while the second MW-02 values at Rs64.4 billion.
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Khawaja Asif reiterated that the government is committed to completely resolve the power outages in the country by utilizing all the available resources. Consequently, the country will produce low cost electricity, completely overcome load shedding and provide relief to the common man.
The minister appraised the efforts of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in implementing major hydroelectric power projects in the country. He said:
“Dasu power project is a manifestation of this commitment”
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Dasu Power Project to Eliminate Major Power Shortages
Asif expressed relief at the current status of the development work on both Dasu and Diamer Bhasha dams. Once the work on Bhasha dam completes, the power generation capacity of Dasu dam will also double. Dasu power project is currently being built by Wapda in Dasu town in District Kohistan of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), on Indus River.
He also confirmed that electricity will be generated from Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric power project by 2018 as the government plans to add 10,400 megawatts by the given timeline. He quoted while shedding light on the controversy of two dams being built by India in Kashmir:
“Pakistan has a solution if India tries to violate the Indus Waters Treaty”
Chairman Wapda, Lieutenant General (Retired) Muzammil Hussain gave his comments stating:
“Today is an important day for the Dasu power project and CGGC should complete contract works within the stipulated time frame keeping in view the quality specified for the project”
Phases of the Project
The first part of the project, MW-01, entails construction of the dam, appurtenant structures, and hydraulic steel structures. It is tipped to be completed in five years.
The second part, MW-02 includes construction of an underground power complex, hydraulic structures and tunnels. The two stage project will have a power generation capacity of 2,160 MW.
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Once stage-I is completed after five years, it will generate 12 billion units of electricity per annum, while stage-II of the project will produce an additional 9 billion units.
The significance of the project cannot be understated as it will not only uplift KP division but also stabilize national economy through availability of cheap electricity. In addition, some of the remote areas of KP will benefit from the socioeconomic development of the region.
The first part of the project has been partially funded by World Bank but a large portion has been arranged by WAPDA through its internal sources. The internal finances are backed by sovereign guarantees by the government.
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