GHAZI: (APP) 77.8 percent civil work and 86.7 percent electrical work of Tarbela dam fourth extension project has been completed and would start power generation this year.
According to Tarbela dam officials, the project was initially designed to be completed during the year 2018 but on special directives of Prime Minister Muahammad Nawaz Sharif now it would start power generation during this year.
The fourth extension project would increase the existing capacity of 3,478 MW to 4,888 MW after the installation of three units of 1,410 MW on Tunnel 4 with the capacity of 410 MW each.
Unit number 17 of the extension project would start power generation during this year while rest of the two units would be completed in 2018.
Tarbela extension project is a joint venture of World Bank (WB) and Wapda where WB has provided $840 million and Wapda has arranged $80 million internally to complete the project.
This Extended hydropower project would provide about 3.84 billion units low-cost power to the masses and the entire cost of the project would be recovered within three years as the expected annual benefits of the project are more than Rs30.7 billion.