ISLAMABAD – The Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project has started providingelectricity to the national grid on trial basis.

The first unit is contributing 60 MW electricity to the system and willgenerate electricity to its full capacity to the tune of 242 MW in next twodays.

Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project, located in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, isscheduled to be inaugurated on April 13. The project has four units withcumulative generation capacity of 969MW.

The project is an engineering marvel with 90% of the project beingunderground in the high mountain areas. The project consists of three maincomponents i.e. a dam, water-way system comprising 52-km long tunnels andan underground power house.

The project will provide about five billion low-cost hydel electricity tothe National Grid every year. Annual benefits of the project have beenestimated at Rs.55 billion.

For optimal utilisation of water and hydropower resources in the country,the WAPDA has been implementing a two-pronged strategy for the purpose.Under the strategy, not only the under-construction projects are beingcompleted in the shortest possible time but new projects are also beinginitiated in both water and hydropower sectors.

WAPDA is trying its best to award contracts for Mohmand Dam and DiamerBasha Dam within a year to supplement significantly towards existing waterstorage and hydropower generation capacities in the country.