Warsak generation capacity to rise to 525 MW

The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has agreed to construct another powerhouse of 375 MW at Warsak in addition to the existing power station that has a power generating capacity of about 250 MW. Resultantly, the generation capacity of Warsak power station will rise to 525 MW.
A decision to this effect was made in a meeting presided over by WAPDA Chairman Shakil Durrani at WAPDA House. WAPDA (Power) Member Muhammad Qasim Khan, WAPDA Secretary Muhammad Imtiaz Tajwar, representatives of the consultants for the project and other senior WAPDA officers attended the meeting.
The project will be completed in collaboration with a joint venture group comprising RSWI from Canada and DEC from Pakistan.
Claudio Vissa, team leader of the consultants told the meeting that with the addition to the new underground powerhouse, the Warsak power station will contribute more than 1.6 billion units of electricity to the national grid against the present contribution of about 0.9 billion units. This will result in additional financial gains of more than Rs 6 billion per annum, he added.
Addressing the meeting, WAPDA Chairman Shakil Durrani said the new Warsak Hydropower Project was a component of the two-pronged strategy being implemented by WAPDA on priority for the optimal utilisation of water resources. Besides constructing new hydropower projects, the rehabilitation and up-gradation of the old hydropower stations are also being carried out under the strategy to help inject low-cost hydropower electricity to the national grid, he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the existing Warsak Hydropower Station is located on the River Kabul, about 30 kilometers from Peshawar.
The project was completed in two phases. In the first phase, four units with a cumulative generation capacity of 160 MW were installed in 1960, while in the second phase, two more units with a capacity of generating 83 MW were added in 1981, raising the capacity of the power station to about 250 MW.
After completing about 50 years, the power generating units of the powerhouse have deteriorated despite extensive repair and maintenance due to heavy sediments in the water of River Kabul