10,000 MW electricity will be added to national grid by 2018, says PM

MUZAFFARABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that through various power projects 10,000MW electricity would be added to the national grid system by next year, ARY News reported.

He was addressing a ceremony relating to Neelum Jhelum Hydro-power Project in the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Calling power generation capability a milestone, the prime minister said that in 70 years history, the country could not generate 10,000MW of electricity that likely to be added by the next year.

The premier credited the timely completion of the project by stating that it was the efforts and priority of the government that it has completed within prescribed time frame.

“It could not be completed in another two decades as the project remained delayed”, he added.

He also lambasted the opposition parties for creating hurdles for the government in its ongoing projects.

“These people who stage sit-ins and protest in Islamabad are not well wishers of the country as they have previously wasted the time of the entire nation by making false claims”, the premier said.

He further said that the opposition parties have no policies to overcome national issues other than bashing the government institutions and using offensive language.

“We will not respond to their allegations and offensive language rather than we keep continuing to complete ongoing projects”, he said.

Around 92% construction work has been completed on the project, involving extensive tunnels excavation work in one of the hardest terrains, government sources said.

The first unit of Neelum Jhelum HydroPower Project will start power generation by the end of February next year while the second unit in mid March, whereas the third and fourth units will be completed in April next year.

The strategically important 969 MW-Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower project will mark a major milestone towards its completion, as excavation of about 68-kilometer long tunnels system of the project will stand completed, when the second Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) deployed on the project will break through the Right Head-race Tunnel.

With this significant development, the waterway system of the project will enter the final phase, which is scheduled to be completed in seven months.

Thereafter, the tunnels will be ready to divert water from Dam site to the Power House for generation of electricity .