Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) approved the annual accounts of WAPDA Power Wing (Hydroelectric) for the fiscal year 2010-11, in a meeting held at WAPDA house. The meeting presided over by WAPDA Chairman Shakil Durrani, was attended by member water Syed Raghib Abbas Shah, member power Muhammad Qasim Khan, member finance Syed Nazakat Ali Shah, Secretary WAPDA Muhammad Imtiaz Tajwar and senior officers concerned. General Manager Finance Power Anwar-ul-Haq while briefing the authority said WAPDA generated about 31.5 billion units of hydel electricity during the fiscal year 2010-11; registering an increase of about 4 billion units as compared to 2009-10. This increased hydel generation was made possible due to efficient operation and management of hydropower stations and availability of more water in the reservoirs. It was further briefed that the additional contribution of low-cost hydel electricity by WAPDA to the national grid saved about Rs40 billion to the national exchequer, which otherwise would have been incurred on generating equivalent quantum of electricity from thermal resources. WAPDA hydroelectric also managed to achieve average plant availability factor of 90 per cent because of the timely periodic preventive maintenance of its power stations as well as special maintenance works carried out at Tarbela, Mangla and Warsak power stations. While elaborating the details pertaining to income statement, the authority was briefed that the additional revenue earned during the fiscal year was injected in to the on-going WAPDA power expansion plan including Khan, Allai and Duber Khwars, Jinnah, Jabban and Golen Gol hydropower projects. This will help complete the projects with an accelerated pace and provide relief to the nation in terms of electricity supply at an affordable rate. The performance of WAPDA hydel power relating to operation, maintenance, expansion and finances was also reviewed in the meeting. The authority, expressing satisfaction over the performance, appreciated WAPDA employees concerned about their commendable performance during the year. It is pertinent to mention that WAPDA is operating 13 hydel power stations in the cumulative generation capacity of 6,500 Mega Watt (MW) – about one third of the total installed capacity of power system. With a view to improve the ratio of hydel electricity in the national grid, WAPDA is executing a least-cost energy generation plan on priority basis. It will add 1,500 MW to this capacity through its under construction projects. Besides that it is also executing a number of mega hydropower projects with a cumulative capacity of more than 20,000 MW including 4,500-MW Diamer Basha Dam, 1410-MW Tarbela 4th Extension, 7,100-MW Bunji, 4,320-MW Dasu and 740-MW Munda hydropower projects, etc.
