The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), released $ 6.66 million to Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) for repair and rehabilitation of Tarbela Power Station.
The USAID had signed an agreement with Wapda to provide a financial assistance amounting to $ 16.5 million for Tarbela Power Station, the Wapda spokesman said here Wednesday. The assistance is to be utilised for repair and rehabilitation of three units of the power house including units 1, 3 and 4.
Rehabilitation of the three units will add another 60 mega watt (MW) to the installed capacity of Tarbela Power House, which is 3478 MW at present.
The major activities of rehabilitation work include replacement of class-B stator winding of the three units with superior class-F insulation winding, he said, adding, with the replacement of winding, the capability of unit 4 would enhance by 108 MW under over-load condition, and after the repair, the units 1 and 3 with a capacity of 175 MW each, would provide additional 40 MW to the national grid.
The repair and rehabilitation work of Tarbela Power Station, undertaken with the USAID financing, is expected to be completed by end of the year 2011.
In addition to constructing new hydropower projects, the Wapda has also undertaken rehabilitation of the electro-mechanical equipments of its aged power houses including Warsak, Tarbela, Mangla, Jabban, Renala etc. It is also worth mentioning that the USAID is also providing another US $ 66 million for completing the Gomal Zam Dam in FATA and Satpara Dam in Gilgit-Baltistan, said the spokesman.
