NJHP’s first unit successfully completes reliability test

KARACHI: The first unit of strategically important 969MW Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project (NJHP), located in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, successfully completed the reliability test on Friday, paving the way for its commercial operations, a statement said.

Under the protocols, the unit will now be checked completely, and adjustments, if any, will be carried out by the manufacturer / contractor.

The unit is expected to start commercial operations thereafter. The first generating unit of Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project was synchronised with the system on April 9.

The second unit was scheduled in May; however, Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) succeeded in commissioning this unit for trial generation ahead of schedule and synchronised it with the national grid on April 22.

Both the generating units have provided around 20 million units of electricity to the national grid during their test run, the statement said.

The project has four generating units, each of them having generation capacity of 242.25MW. The remaining units are likely to commence operations by the end of June at one month interval each.

Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project is considered to be an engineering wonder, 90 percent of which exists underground in high mountainous region.

The project has three main components, including a 60-feet high and 160-feet long composite dam, a 52km long waterway system and an underground power house, it said.

Besides, 525kV switch yard and transmission line have also been constructed to evacuate electricity generated by the project.

Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project will contribute around 5 billion units of electricity to the national grid annually. The total revenue generation is expected to be over Rs55 billion annually, it said. The annual benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs50 billion.