Aug 08 , 2015
News
MRP will increase power generation from 1,000 to 1310mw
*WAPDA chairman says project will inject low-cost hydroelectric power to the national gird to mitigate electricity shortagesLAHORE: The Mangla Refurbishment Project (MRP), which is being implemented by the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), would increase the generation capacity of Mangla Hydel Power Station from 1,000 megawatt (MW) to 1,310MW.
This was told to WAPDA Chairman Zafar Mahmood in a briefing during his visit to the Mangla Dam on Friday.
The chairman had a detailed round of the Mangla Hydel Power Station, the dam and spillway. He also visited the Mangla reservoir rim at Khaliqabad. WAPDA member Badrul Munir and Mangla Dam General Manager Ghulam Sarwar Memon were also present during the visit.
Speaking on the occasion, the chairman said that there is a dire need of injecting low-cost hydroelectric power to the national gird to mitigate electricity shortages and reduce electricity tariff. Therefore, it is imperative that MRP be completed within the stipulated time frame, he added.
Referring to the high flows and the present water level in the Mangla Lake, which is 1236.7 feet, the chairman directed the concerned authorities to take utmost care and strictly follow the criterion jointly devised by all stakeholders for filling the reservoir.
Earlier, the Mangla Dam general manager briefed the chairman about the mechanism being adopted for filling the reservoir with special reference to the floods in the other western rivers namely Chenab and Indus. It was briefed that the raised Mangla Dam filled to its maximum level of 1,242 feet last year providing about 3 million acre feet of additional water for irrigation in addition to generating additional 620 million unit low-cost hydel electricity.
It was further told that the MRP would be completed in three phases with approved PC-1 amounting to Rs 52,224 million. On completion of the project, the existing installed capacity of the Mangla Hydel Power Station would raise by another 310MW with additional energy generation of 1,632 million units of electricity per annum. The Mangla Hydel Power Station generated 6,496 million units of electricity in fiscal year 2014-15 and 5,876 million units of electricity in 2013-14.
It is worth mentioning that Mangla Dam – the first-ever mega multipurpose project in Pakistan comprising water storage and four power generating units of 100MW each – was completed in 1967. Subsequently, units 5 and 6 were installed at the powerhouse in 1974 and units 7 and 8 in 1981. The Mangla Power House attained its maximum capacity of 1,000MW in 1994 with addition of units 9 and 10.
Since it’s commissioning, the powerhouse has contributed more than 210 billion units of low-cost electricity to the national grid. The aging factor of the generating equipment and availability of additional water due to the raised Mangla Dam necessitated the refurbishment and up-gradation of Mangla Hydel Power Station.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk