The total generation capacity of the Tarbela Hydropower Station will go up to 4,828 megawatt, official sources told APP here.

They said, "an estimated amount of US dollar 700 million will be spent on the project for which World Bank is supporting."

Engineering consultants have reached Pakistan for the fourth Tarbela extension project which would be completed in four years, they said.

The sources said three turbines of 450MW each would be installed instead of two turbines of 480MW each, as envisaged in a study conducted earlier in 90s.

They said work on detailed engineering design, preparation of tender documents and PC-1 of the extension project is expected to be completed by September 2011.

They said," development work is also underway on 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum project which will be completed in seven years".

They said 10 km tunnel had been constructed at the project site.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011