ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is set to inaugurate Golen Gol Hydropower Project at District Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today (Saturday).
The total generation capacity of the project is 108MW with three generating units – each of them having a capacity of 36MW. The first unit has been completed, while the second and the third unit will be commissioned in March and May 2018 respectively.
The project has been constructed on Golen Gol – a tributary of River Mastuj – near Chitral. The first unit of the project can generate up to 36MW and is exclusively meant to provide electricity to Chitral town and adjacent areas.
PM to inaugurate Golen Gol Hydropower project in #Chitral today. 1st unit of the project of 36-MW capacity is exclusively meant to provide electricity to Chitral town and adjacent areas. This quantum of electricity is 3 times more than the present requirements of Chitral. pic.twitter.com/yongBHjc8Z
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) February 3, 2018
In the wake of the devastating floods of 2015 in Chitral, the federal government directed Water And Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to supply electricity generated from the first unit of the project to Chitral in order to meet the energy needs for socio-economic development of far-flung areas of KP province.
This quantum of electricity is three times more than the present requirements of Chitral, and will also cater for the probable surge in electricity demand in future.
The project will provide 436 million units of electricity to the national grid every year. Benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs3.7 billion per annum. The approved PC-I of the project amounts to Rs29 billion.
In addition to WAPDA’s own sources, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Saudi Fund for Development, Kuwait Development Fund and OPEC Fund for International Development have also been providing financial assistance for completion of the project.
