Wapda chairman visits Tarbela extension project T5

HARIPUR: Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Lt-Gen (R) Muzammil Hussain on Tuesday visited the site of Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project (T5) to oversee the preparations for the civil work.

The visit came in the wake of awarding the contract for civil work of the 1530 megawatts Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project (T5) last week.

He reviewed the preparedness level for starting construction work on the project scheduled to be commenced in July this year.

During the visit, Wapda chairman had a detailed round of Tunnel N0. 5, sites of the powerhouse and switchyard and intake of the powerhouse, where he was briefed about the mobilization of the contractor and timelines for the overall implementation of the project.

Wapda member (water) Abdul Zahir Khan Durrani, member (power) Jamil Akhtar, authority’s adviser Nasir Hanif, project management and representatives of the consultants were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, the chairman Wapda said that T5 was yet another landmark project being constructed by Wapda under its least-cost energy generation plant to meet the increasing demand for energy in the country through indigenous clean and green hydel electricity.

He added that T5 was one of the 10 mega projects Wapda was implementing to double the existing hydel generation with the addition of more than 9000 megawatts to the national grid in just eight years from the year 2022 to 2028-29 in phased manner.

The addition of this cheap electricity will help stabilize the power tariff by decreasing reliance on the import of expensive fuel for thermal power generation, he added. Underlining the importance of timely completion of the hydropower projects for the national economy, the chairman Wapda directed T5 project management to strictly adhere to the timelines set for completion of the project with no compromise on the stipulated standards of construction work.