A delegation from the World Bank, led by Pankaj Gupta, Regional Director for Infrastructure in South Asia, today examined the ongoing construction of the 1530MW Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project.
The delegation’s visit, accompanied by Chairman WAPDA Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (Retd), provided an opportunity to assess the development of various critical sites, including the raised intake, tunnel, penstock, and power house.
The WAPDA chairmanexpressed gratitude to the World Bank for its support in developing Pakistan’s water and hydropower resources and anticipated the strengthening of their partnership. During the visit, the GM/PD of the project informed the delegation about the significant progress on construction fronts, with concrete works and installations advancing steadily. The project, set to generate electricity in 2026, aims to bolster the National Grid with an annual supply of 1.347 billion units of hydel electricity.
The Tarbela 5th Extension is part of WAPDA’s green energy initiative, funded partly by the World Bank’s US$390 million assistance. Upon completion, the project’s installed capacity will augment the Tarbela Dam’s overall capacity to 6,418MW.
Under the 5th Extension, three generating units 510MW each are being installed at Tunnel No. 5 of Tarbela Dam Project to provide 1.347 billion units hydel electricity to the National Grid on the average every year.