LAHORE: The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Monday awarded a kay project worth Rs1.68 billion to China’s CMAC Engineering Company for Package-9 of Mangla, with the signing ceremony held Monday here at WAPDA House. The package includes up-gradation of Mangla switch-yard, says WAPDA press release.
WAPDA General Manager (Hydel) Development and Member (Power) Engineer Muhammad Arshad Chaudhry and China CMAC Engineering Company Business Manager Ms Liang Xiaofang signed the agreement on behalf of their organisations. WAPDA senior officers, and representatives of the consultants, and the contractors were also present on the occasion.
WAPDA is implementing Mangla Refurbishment Project with an approved PC-I cost of Rs52.224 billion. The project, on its completion, will enhance generation capacity of the existing Mangla Hydel Power Station from 1000 megawatt (MW) to 1310 MW, thus registering an increase of 310 MW.
The refurbishment works have been divided into 11 different packages. Prior to the signing of Package-9 today, as many as five other packages have already been awarded and the works are in progress on these packages.
Mangla Refurbishment Project will be implemented in various phases, wherein the generating units will be refurbished by closing down one tunnel (two generating units) at a time. Refurbishment of the first two units will be completed in the year 2019, while refurbishment of all 10 generating units is likely to be accomplished by the year 2024.
It may be mentioned that the USAID is providing US$150 million as grant and AFD is providing Euro 90 million as a loan for Mangla Refurbishment Project, while rest of the amount is being arranged by WAPDA through loans and from its own resources.
