ISLAMABAD-The under-construction Dasu Hydropower Project crossed a major milestone as the River Indus was successfully diverted following completion of a 1.33-kilometre long diversion tunnel.
Following the completion of one of the two diversion tunnels, the River Indus was successfully diverted to the completed tunnel, said WAPDA’s spokesperson here. Instead of its natural course, the River Indus is now flowing through a 1.33-kilometer long diversion tunnel with 20-metre width and 23-metre height. Consequently, construction activities have been initiated on the starter dam, leading towards construction of the main dam of Dasu Hydropower Project.
General Manager and Project Director Dasu Hydropower Project, representatives of the contractors and the consultants alongwith a number of engineers and workers witnessed the historic moment of the River Indus diversion. Diversion system of Dasu Hydropower Project is comprised of two tunnels - tunnel A and tunnel B. Of these, tunnel B is complete, which has the discharge capacity, sufficient to divert water of the River Indus during the current lean-flows season. The 1.5-km long tunnel A, with 20-metre width and 23-metre height, will also be ready by mid April this year to cater for increased water flows during the high-flows season.
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Dasu Hydropower Project is a vital component of the least-cost, green and clean energy generation plan of WAPDA. The project is being constructed across the River Indus, upstream of Dasu Town in Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The 4,320-MW-Dasu Hydropower Project is planned to be completed in two stages.
At present, WAPDA is constructing its stage-I with installed generation capacity of 2,160-MW and annual energy generation of 12 billion units. Stage-I of the project is likely to start electricity generation in 2026. The 2,160-MW stage-II, when implemented, will also provide 9 billion units to the National Grid. On completion of the both stages, Dasu will become the project with highest annual energy generation in Pakistan i.e. 21 billion units per annum on the average. The project will commence by end 2026.
The Nation, 20 Feb, 2023