The power projects, including Neelum-Jhelum, Golan Goal and Tarbela-4, will add 3,000 megawatts of energy to the national grid till the end of 2017, said WAPDA Chairman Zafar Mehmood while talking to the newsmen here on Thursday.
The chairman said the WAPDA was developing its own resources for ensuring maximum power generation and completion of Bhasha Dam and Dasu Dam projects. He said very high cost of establishment of Bhasha Dam was the main hurdle in inordinate delay of Bhasha Dam project, adding that this project would cost $ 14 billion.
He said the WAPDA had planned to establish the structure of the Bhasha Dam through its own resources. He said the WAPDA would soon borrow $ 1.4 billion in April 2016 from the market through the consortium of banks led by the Habib Bank Limited (HBL).
He said the WAPDA would also generate $ 100 billion for the construction of Neelum-Jhelum power project through a banking consortium led by the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP).
He said the first turbine of 242 megawatts of this project would start power generation in 2017, as this project would have total four power turbines.
He said the first phase of construction of Dasu Dam would be completed in 2021.
Earlier, talking to exporters at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the chairman said the government was making all-out efforts to give maximum relief to the industrial sector by reducing duration of load shedding in the country.
SCCI President Maj (r) Mansur Ahmed, VP Syed Ehtesham Gillani, Chairman Sialkot Dry Port Trust (SDPT) Khawar Anwar Khawaja, former SVP Mian Muhammad Anwar and Mian Mohsin Gull were also present.
