Hydropower agenda

Pursuant to the declared policy of the government to achieve self-reliance in various fields, Minister for Energy (Power Division) Omar Ayub Khan has announced that all new power projects would be based on indigenous energy resources, focusing on further exploitation of huge water potential for power generation, while Minister for Water Resources Muhammad Faisal Vawda has committed to resolving the issues related to Wapda development projects for expeditious implementation.

The government has allocated a record Rs200.769 billion to the Water Resources Division under the 2018/19 Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). An amount of Rs137.642 billion is allocated to hydropower projects, including the on-going Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project and new scheme of rehabilitation of Warsak power station. The water sector allocations cover various projects, including Diamer-Basha Dam (Rs23.68 billion, dam part), Mohmand Dam (Rs2.387 billion, dam part), and Dasu multi-purpose, first stage (Rs76.2 billion including foreign assistance Rs3 billion). Federal government has so far released Rs10.5 billion out of total Rs79.5 billion of its share of the PSDP, while ‘the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Diamer-Basha and Mohmand Dams Fund’ has now reached Rs8.2 billion. Wapda Chairman retired Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain has already announced that tangible work on Mohmand Dam and Diamer-Basha Dam would commence in February and June 2019, respectively.

To bring about sustainable economic development it is imperative to fix energy challenge as enshrined in the PTI Manifesto 2018. The existing energy mix is dominated by costlier thermal mainly operating on imported furnace oil, LNG and coal; thanks to the tainted policies of the past governments and the vested interests of the powers-that-be. Given the conditions, supply of affordable electricity will continue to be elusive with the fuel costs increasing internationally. This situation is the core of energy crisis that is the result of enormous circular debt accumulated over the years, currently about Rs1,300 billion and set to increase, which is in effect passed on to the consumers. The solution for energy security therefore lies in revising the energy mix through optimising hydropower, which produces the cheapest electricity the world over.

Currently, Pakistan is generating 32,350GWh on-grid hydropower in relation to annual hydropower potential of 240,000GWh, evaluated as technically and economically feasible. Till 1960, hydropower accounted for about 65 percent of power generation from all the sources, but gradually declined to 45 percent in 1991, 30 percent in 2010, and 25 percent till recently as the development of hydropower was neglected. Wapda has been operating 18 small, medium and large hydropower stations, of cumulative installed capacity of 6,880MW. These include Tarbela 3,478MW, Ghazi Barotha 1,450MW, Mangla 1,000MW, Warsak 243MW, Chashma 184MW, Duber Khwar 130MW, Allai Khwar 121MW, Jinnah 96MW, Khan Khwar 72MW, Rasul 22MW, Dargai 20MW, Gomal Zam 17.4MW, Nandipur 13.8MW, Shadiwal 13.5MW, Chichoki Mallian 13.2MW, Kurram Garhi 4MW, Renala 1.1MW and Chitral 1MW. In recent years Wapda has commissioned Jabban (new power station at the old site) 22MW, Keyal Khwar 122MW, Golen Gol 106MW and Tarbela 4th Extension 1,410MW, thus bringing Wapda’s total installed capacity to around 8,540MW.

The 969MW Neelum-Jhelum project will shortly attain commercial operations. Also, Wapda has embarked upon constructing a number of mega and medium-size hydropower projects, for which Nepra has already granted generation license. These include 4,500MW Diamer-Basha, 800MW Mohmand, 2,160MW Dasu-I, and Tarbela 5th extension of 1,140MW. On completion, Wapda’s cumulative installed capacity will significantly improve energy mix in favour of hydropower. In addition, various large-size hydropower projects are under construction or at planning stages in the private sector, such as 720MW Karot, 870MW Suki Kinari, 700MW Azad Pattan and 1,124MW Kohala scheduled for completion by June 2026.

Hydropower technology is well-proven and one of the oldest though modernised from time to time. Modern water turbine was invented during 1820-1824 in France and commercially developed for power generation in Switzerland in 1863, under the name Ateliers B Roy and Cie followed by the establishment of Ateliers de Construction Mecanique de Vevey (ACM). Since then Switzerland, and later Germany and Austria, has achieved distinctive place in the world for design and manufacturing of hydropower generation equipment.

After various takeovers and mergers of the pioneering companies in hydropower business and subsequent acquisition by Andritz Hydro over the years, such as ACM, Escher Wyss, Dominion Engineering, Sulzer Hydro, VA Tech Hydro, GE Hydro, Canadian GE and others, the global Andritz Hydro with headquarters in Austria, has over one-and-a-half century of accumulated experience, having installed more than 30,000 turbines the world over totalling some 422,000MW. Today, it has state-of-the-art technology, and singular distinction of offering large hydropower plants with an output of 800MW per turbine unit.

In Pakistan, the presence of Andritz Hydro, which takes pride in having present share of more than half of the total installed hydropower capacity in Pakistan, dates back to 1925 with the commissioning of Renala power-house of 1.1MW in District Okara, which is in continuous operation meeting the requirement of local load of lift irrigation pumping stations. Likewise, Andritz is the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to WAPDA’s Rasul HPP of 22-MW commissioned in 1951. Rasul power station is efficiently generating low-cost energy, which is being dispatched to the national grid. Besides, it has supplied many mini and micro hydel turbines that are installed in various locations in Gilgit-Baltistan for the last four decades.

Andritz is the OEM to Wapda’s Warsak, Tarbela (ten units), Mangla (two units), Gilgit (2MW), Satpara (17MW), Allai Khwar and Duber Khwar HPPs. Its latest Wapda project is Golen Gol HPP, which was commissioned early this year and connected to the national grid in September through a dedicated transmission line.

Also, Andritz has supplied machinery and structure for 84MW New Bong Escape power station of Laraib Energy/HUBCO. Currently, the company is constructing Gulpur HPP of 104MW, another IPP (Mira Power), scheduled for commercial operations during November next year. A special feature of the Gulpur powerhouse located in the AJK would be the protection of turbines from severe hydro abrasive erosion due to high sand content in the Poonch River water, commercially applied for the first time ever in Pakistan. The two Kaplan turbines are coated with highly resistant special coating SXH technique proprietary to Andritz. Another exclusive element of turbine design is that its runner blades and guide vanes can be replaced quickly and easily without disassembling the unit.

To accomplish the objectives of clean, green, renewable and low-cost energy within a reasonable timeframe, it is important to utilise the most efficient cutting-edge hydropower technology available today internationally. The world over, hydropower is the leading renewable energy source for power generation, which currently constitutes 16.4 percent of the global electricity from all sources.

The writer is retired chairman of the State Engineering Corporation