Azad Pattan Hydropower Project

Azad Pattan Hydropower Project
Project Layout
Azad Pattan Hydropower Project is located in Pakistan
Azad Pattan Hydropower Project
Location of Azad Pattan Hydropower Project in Pakistan
CountryPakistan
LocationSudhanoti District, Azad Kashmir
Coordinates33°46′3.9″N 73°34′17.45″E / 33.767750°N 73.5715139°E / 33.767750; 73.5715139
Opening date2026
Construction cost$1.517 billion
Owner(s)China Ghezouba Group, Laraib Group
Dam and spillways
Type of damGravity dam, Run of the river
ImpoundsJhelum River
Height90 m (295 ft)
Length80 m (262 ft)
Power Station
Turbines4 x 160 MW
Installed capacity700  MW (10% continuous overload)[1]
Annual generation3064 GWh

The Azad Pattan Hydropower Project is a 700.7 MW hydroelectric power station on the Jhelum River roughly 7 km upstream of Azad Pattan Bridge in the Sudhanoti District, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan and 90 km from Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan.[2][3] The project is scheduled for completion by 2026. In July 2020, the project's $1.5 billion investment agreement was signed between Chinese state-owned China Gezhouba Group and Pakistan, in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan and senior government ministers.[4][5]

Upon finalizing the EPC and other associated costs, the project company submitted its EPC tariff proposal on 23 June 2017. Following an intensive evaluation process, NEPRA determined the tariff vide Determination dated 17 May 2018. Tariff of US ¢ 7.12/kWh (levelized) was determined for the 30-year term; with an average of US ¢ 5.93/kWh. The average and levelized tariff for the first 10 years is US ¢ 8.13/kWh while the average tariff for the next 20 years is US ¢ 4.83/kWh (levelized US ¢ 5.20/kWh). This has the distinction of being the lowest tariff of all the large private hydropower projects (over 500MW) on rivers in Pakistan.[6]

The JCC (Joint Cooperation Committee) for CPEC related projects conducted a study on power market of Pakistan, which led to the decision that both sides will discuss the inclusion of the project at the fifth Expert Panel meeting.[7] Later project was added in CPEC.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Pakistan announces $1.5b hydropower project in AJK". tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Azad Pattan HPP | Business Recorder". Business Recorder. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
  3. ^ Change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate. "CDM: Azad Pattan Hydropower Project". cdm.unfccc.int. Retrieved 2016-02-15.
  4. ^ "Pakistan, China ink accord for construction of Azad Pattan Hydel Power Project". Business Recorder. July 6, 2020.
  5. ^ "Agreement for $1.5bn hydropower project signed". Dawn. July 7, 2020.
  6. ^ "Welcome to Laraib Group". www.laraibgroup.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  7. ^ "Pakistan proposes study of Jhelum river cascade". The Express Tribune. 2019-01-13. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  8. ^ "CPEC includes Kashmir hydropower project". The News International Pakistan. 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2019-11-08.