PESHAWAR (APP) – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has prepared Hydel Development Action Plan 2011-2025 with total generation capacity of 524 mega watt to cater the growing energy demands of people for agriculture, industry and domestic consumption.
“Work on the action plan prepared by Energy and Power Department on the special directives of Chief Minister KPK will start in fiscal year 2011-12 and hydel projects would be constructed with the assistance of SHYDO to fully tap the province rich hidden energy’s potential,” official sources in Small Hydel Development Organization told APP on Sunday.
The hydropower projects with total capacity 524 MW under the action plan include Matiltan hydropower project in Swat with capacity of 85 MW, Sharmai hydropower project in Dir with 115 MW, Koto hydropower project Dir with 31 MW capacity, Karora 10 MW, Jabori in Manshera (eight MW), Shusai-Zhendoli in Chitral 144 MW and Shogo Sin hydropower project with capacity 132 MW.
The federal government has signed a loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the development of hydropower potential of Khyber Pakthunkhwa, saying the total revised cost is Rs. 6026.41 million. Under this mega project, the official said, SHYDO will construct two new projects with a total installed capacity of 20 MW. “These projects are under various stages of implementation and will complete during next four years,” he informed. Likewise, Daral Khwar hydel power project with capacity of 36MW costing Rs.6958.42 million would be funded through hydel development fund and ADP with 80, 20 ratio.
Daral Khwar hydropower project in Swat with capacity 36 MW, Asian Development Bank funded Ronalia hydropower project in Kohistan with capacity 17MW and Machai Mardan with 2.60 MW capacity would significantly contribute to fulfill industry and agriculture besides people energy needs.
He said SHYDO was now operating four hydropower stations in Malakand Division, Swabi and Chitral districts, saying that Pehur and Shishi hydro power projects were completed last year with total installed capacity of 105mega watt. These projects are not only contributing to the reduction of loadshedding but also generating annual revenue of up to Rs. 3 billion for Khyber Pakthunkhwa. Under the same loan, the official said, SHYDO has conducted feasibility studies of Koto hydropower project in Dir Lower with 31 MW capacity, Karora new hydropower project in Shangla with capacity of generating 10 MW electricity and Jabori in Manshra with seven MW capacity, which were supposed to be completed in July 2010 but due to devastated floods, these were not implemented and now revision of feasibility study is in progress. Construction work on these projects will start in fiscal year 2011-12 and will be completed in next four years.Pre-Feasibility study of 10 raw sites in various districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa is being conducted by SHYDO and these sites would be offered to private sector for development, he informed. The pre-feasibility study of these 10 sites is in progress and will be completed by December 2011 with total generation capacity of 63 MW.