WAPDA awards 243-MW Warsak hydropower plant in Pakistan
The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) awarded the contract of consultancy services worth PKR868 million (US$8.23 million) through an international competitive bidding for 2nd Rehabilitation of Warsak Hydroelectric Power Station to a Joint Venture comprising four firms led by Dolsar from Turkey.
The contract was signed in a ceremony held here at WAPDA House. General Manager (Hydel) Development Muhammad Arshad Chaudhry and Dolsar representative Irfan Aker signed the contract on behalf of WAPDA and the Joint Venture respectively. WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (R), Member (Power) Badr-ul-Munir Murtiza and other senior officers of WAPDA were also present on the occasion.
WAPDA, on the directions of the Federal Government, has been implementing a least-cost energy generation plan to add low-priced hydel electricity to the system to overcome electricity shortages in the country. This plan aims at optimal utilization of the indigenous hydropower resources. In addition to constructing new projects, WAPDA has also been rehabilitating and up-grading its aging hydel power stations, including the Warsak, under the plan.
WAPDA is executing Second Rehabilitation Project of Warsak Hydel Power Station to regain its generation capacity, which has decreased to 193 MW from 243 MW due to aging factor of the electro-mechanical equipment. The rehabilitation works are planned to be carried out with an approved PC-I cost of PKR22.25 billion (US$211 million) with the objective to overcome the aging problems, regain the capacity loss of 50 MW with reliable annual energy generation of 1.14 billion units, upgrade and modernize the old system and achieve another life cycle of 30 to 40 years. German financial institution KfW and French Development Agency (AFD) are providing loan to the tune of €40 million (US$42.9 million) each, while European Investment Bank (EIB) is giving €50 million (US$53.6 million) for Second Rehabilitation Project of Warsak Hydel Power Station.
It is pertinent to mention that Warsak is the first ever main hydropower project executed in Pakistan after independence. The first phase of the Warsak Dam and Hydel Power Station was completed in 1960-61 consisting of the dam, irrigation tunnels, four generating units with cumulative capacity of 160 MW, switchyard and transmission line. In the second phase, two more generating units of about 83 MW were added in 1980-81 to raise the installed capacity of the hydel power station to 243 MW. The first rehabilitation was carried out during 1996-2006 to stabilize civil structure and recover lost generation of about 70 MW.
