LAHORE: Chairman Wapda Lt Gen Muhammad Saeed (retd) reviewed progress on the Mangla Refurbishment Project during a visit to the Mangla Hydel Power Station where he was informed that work is advancing at a steady pace.
Officials briefed the chairman that four generating units have already been refurbished and are now operating at enhanced capacity. Two additional units are scheduled to come online by the end of this year while the overall completion of the project is targeted for 2030.
According to a statement issued by Wapda headquarters on Wednesday, during the visit, the chairman inspected the control room, turbine hall, where refurbishment of generating units is under way, and the intake structure to assess progress firsthand.
Among those present were Member Power Wapda Muhammad Arfan Miana, GM Mangla Dam Organisation Fakhar-i-Jehan, GM Hydel Development Ihsan Ullah, GM/PD Mangla Refurbishment Project Ijlal Hussain, along with consultants and contractors.
Expressing satisfaction over the pace of work, the chairman urged contractors to expedite activities to ensure timely completion. He stressed that the project is vital for strengthening the country’s energy security by reducing dependence on costly and environmentally harmful thermal power generation.
The Mangla Refurbishment Project is being executed at an approved PC-I cost of Rs52.224 billion. Financial assistance includes a USD 170 million grant from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and a €90 million loan from Agence Française de Développement (AFD), with the remaining funds arranged by Wapda through its own resources and borrowings.
The project is distinctive that it is being implemented without shutting down the entire power station. Instead, refurbishment has been divided into multiple packages, with work carried out by closing one tunnel, comprising two generating units, at a time to minimise energy losses.
Upon completion, the installed capacity of the power station will increase from 1,000MW to 1,310MW. Annual energy generation is projected to rise from 5 billion units to 6.632 billion units.
The refurbishment initiative forms part of Wapda’s broader two-pronged strategy to optimise hydropower resources. In addition to launching new hydropower projects, the authority is rehabilitating and upgrading existing facilities to enhance the share of clean, green and affordable hydel electricity in the national grid. The Mangla Hydel Power Station currently comprises 10 generating units, each with a capacity of 100MW.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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