Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has signed an agreement for providing consultancy services for feasibility study, detailed engineering design and preparation of tender documents of Bunji Hydropower Project with Bunji Consultants here at Wapda House on Wednesday.
Wapda's General Manager Hydro Planning Zia-ul-Hassan and Francis M. Griffin of Bunji Consultants singed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. Wapda Chairman Tariq Hamid, Member Water Muhammad Mushtaq Chaudhry and Member Power Fazal Ahamd Khan were also present o the occasion.
The proposed site of Bunji hydropower project, the biggest ever project in the history of Pakistan, with an installed capacity of 5400 MW is located 83 km downstream of Gilgit on the main Indus River. The project, on its completion is expected to contribute 20.75 billion units of electricity annually to the national grid. The PC-II of this 'run of the river' project has already been approved by ECNEC for conducting feasibility study. The study will be completed in three years. M/s Bunji Consultants comprises of five firms in all, including three foreign firms namely Mott McDonald of UK, Sogreah Consultants SAS of France and Nippon Koei of Japan and two Pakistani firms namely MM Pakistan and Development and Management Consultants.