U.S. Ambassador Richard Olson joined WAPDA Chairman Syed Raghib Abbas Shah to mark the completion of the U S – funded Tarbela Dam restoration project.
The restoration of three generators at Tarbela adds 128 megawatts of power to the national grid. During his visit to Tarbela, Olson said that the “United States understands that Pakistan is facing an energy crisis and we are committed to doing our part. The work completed here at Tarbela contributes enough electricity to supply two million customers, and helps provide relief to those suffering from extensive power shortages”.
WAPDA Chairman Syed Raghib Abbas Shah appreciated the support of the United States towards the energy sector of Pakistan.
To increase production of electricity at Tarbela, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided $16.5 million to the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to repair three power generation units and to train Tarbela’s staff to operate the upgraded equipment.
In addition to Tarbela, the United States is also funding other high impact projects, such as the rehabilitation of the Mangla dam, and renovation of thermal plants at Jamshoro, Guddu, and Muzaffagarh, which have already added over 650 megawatts since October 2009.
The U S government is also co-financing the completion of the Gomal Zam and Satpara dams which will add another 35 megawatts and irrigate more than 200,000 acres. Finally, the U S is helping to replace thousands of highly inefficient agricultural and municipal water pumps throughout the country to save additional megawatts. These projects are expected to add 900 megawatts to the national power grid by the end of 2013 — enough energy to power two million households and businesses