Tarbela fourth extension project begins to generate power

Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) achieved yet another landmark towards energy security of the country as Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project started electricity generation on Monday. The first generating unit, put into operation, has started providing electricity to the national grid. To mark the significant development of electricity generation from the first unit, Wapda Chairman Lieutenant General Muzammil Hussain (retd) visited Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project. Congratulating the Wapda project management, consultants and contractors on successful commissioning of the first unit, the Chairman said that Wapda was able to achieve this target with blessings of Almighty Allah and hard work of the engineers and other officials associated with the project.
Highlighting significance of the project in economic development and social uplift of the country, he said the prime minister will formally inaugurate Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project in second week of March. Under the 1410MW Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project, three electric power generating units-each of them having capacity of 470MW - have been installed at the Tunnel 4 of Tarbela Dam. The first unit has started electricity generation. The second unit is scheduled to be commissioned by end of April while the third unit is scheduled to start electricity generation by end of May this year. Wapda is determined to add 2487MW low-cost hydel electricity to the national grid by June 2018 with phased completion of its three hydropower projects including the 108MW-Golen Gol, the 969MW-Neelum Jhelum and the 1410MW-Tarbela 4th Extension.
It is worth mentioning here that the 1410MW-Tarbela 4th extension is a component of least-cost energy generation plan being implemented by Wapda on priority to meet electricity requirements in the country and increase the ratio of hydel electricity in the national grid to stabilize electricity tariff for the consumers. With completion of the project, generation capacity of the existing Tarbela Hydel Power Station will increase to 4888MW from the existing 3478MW. Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project will provide 3.84 billion units of electricity to the national grid per annum. Annual benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs 30 billion. The project will pay back its cost in just three years.