ISLAMABAD: The refurbishment of two more units will increase the power generation capacity of Mangla hydroelectric power station, WealthPK reports.
The contractor has been granted approval to start refurbishment work on units No.3 and No.4..
An official of the Mangla Dam said that signature testing was conducted at both units to allow the contractor to proceed with the work. He added that the contractor inquired about the status of the units including their condition and overall performance.
Earlier, units No.5 and No.6 were successfully commissioned by the Water and Power Regulatory Authority (Wapda).
The power generation capacity of both the units will increase from 100 megawatts to 135 megawatts each after the refurbishment.
Wapda is implementing the Mangla refurbishment project with an approved PC-I cost of Rs52.224 billion. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing $150 million as a grant and AFD, a French development agency, is providing €90 million as a loan for the purpose.
The remaining amount is being paid by the Wapda through loans and its own resources.
The Mangla hydroelectric power station, located in Mirpur district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, is capable of generating 1,000 megawatts of power, using 10 units. Owing to the damage to the equipment, the power generation capacity of the station was reduced to less than 980 megawatts.
The feasibility study shows that with the upgradation of the units, which is to be carried out without making any major changes to the design, the dam’s overall power generation capacity will increase to 1,310 megawatts from the existing 1,000 megawatts.
The first four units at Mangla hydroelectric power station, each having a generation capacity of 100 megawatts, were completed in 1967 with a lifespan of around 35 years, WealthPK has learnt. –INP
