Progress to Satpara Hydropower Power Project
Power House No. 3 of Satpara Dam Project with installed capacity of 2.36 MW has started power generation this April 2013. The Power House No. 4 with an installed capacity of 1.4 MW is still under construction. It has been scheduled to go into operation by the end of May 2013.
Construction of Satpara Dam project started in April 2003 and completed in July 2010, one year earlier than its scheduled time. Power House No.1 was completed and became operational on October 06, 2007 and Power House No. 2 was completed and became operational on December 30, 2008.
Due to shortage of funds, further progress to the project stopped. On 7 January 2011, the Government of Pakistan and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) entered into an Enhanced Partnership Agreement under which USAID agreed to provide US$ 26 million for the construction of Power Houses No. 3 & 4, and completion of remaining works on the dam. Thus, Power House No. 3 of Satpara Dam Project with installed capacity of 2.36 MW started power generation in April 2013. The Power House No. 4 with an installed capacity of 1.4 MW is close to completion.
Satpara Dam is a first of its kind mega water & power project in Gilgit Baltistan. It is located in the vicinity of Skardu town, located downstream of the existing Satpara Lake on the Satpara Stream, approximately 4 km from the beautiful town of Skardu. The project consists of three components including a dam, irrigation system and a power complex, comprising four power houses. The dam was completed in July 2010 and the irrigation system in 2012.
Upon completion, the dam will enlarge the size of Satpara Lake. It will generate total 17.36 MW of hydroelectricity and supply power to approximately 30,000 houses in the Skardu Valley. Plus irrigate 15,536 acres of land and supply 3.1 million gallons per day drinking water to Skardu city. Annual agricultural output in the Skardu Valley is expected to increase more than 400%.
Hopefully the government will now continue this trend of development in Gilgit Baltistan region and will soon start the work on Nelum Jhelum Power project. This project is pending since 1998. It is also a four stage project with total capacity 970 MW electricity.
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Category: Business
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