ISLAMABAD: Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is implementing on priority a least-cost energy generation plan to help reduce electricity shortfall and increase the ratio of low-cost hydel electricity in the national grid.
Under the plan, 17 large projects were under construction or at detailed engineering stage, which would generate more than 20,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity and store about 12 million acre feet (MAF) of water, official sources told APP here Wednesday.
Emphasizing the importance of hydropower to meet the electricity needs in the country, they said the hydropower was the cheapest electricity generated through indigenous resource of water.
The average tariff for hydel electricity is Rs.1.54 per unit as compared to the overall electricity tariff of about Rs.9 per unit, they said.
The sources said that seven projects with cumulative capacity of more than 1500 MW were under construction. Out of these, five projects of about 400 MW would be completed in the current year, while the 969 MW-Neelum-Jhelum and the 106 MW-Golen Gol hydropower projects were progressing at a good pace.
In addition, the 4500 MW Diamer Basha Dam with gross storage capacity of 8.1 MAF and the 84 MW-Kurram Tangi Dam with water storage capacity of 1.2 MAF have also been initiated.
They said that besides, the 1410 MW-Tarbela 4th Extension and the 7100 MW-Bunji Hydropower Project would soon be available for initiating construction work, as detailed engineering designs of the two projects are almost complete.
The sources said that six mega projects were currently in the stage of their detailed engineering designs, including the 740 MW- Munda Dam multipurpose project with storage capacity 1.3 MAF, 4320 MW-Dasu with storage capacity of 1.1 MAF, 122 MW-Keyal Khwar and three other projects of 1761 MW.
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