Addressing the ceremony, Water Resources Federal Secretary Muhammad Ashraf said the ministry was committed to optimal utilisation of hydropower resources for generating low-cost and environment-friendly electricity to meet energy requirements.

The contract covers design, supply and installation of six Francis turbines, generators, main transformers and generator and station service switchgear, along with related equipment.

The 4,320MW hydropower project is being constructed by Wapda on the Indus upstream of Dasu town in Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The project will be completed in two stages – each stage having a generation capacity of 2,160MW. At present, the project’s stage-I is under way, while electricity generation from the project is expected to commence in 2024-25.

The stage-I will contribute more than 12 billion units per annum to the national grid. The project’s stage-II will provide 9bn additional units to the system every year.

The World Bank is providing funds for the construction of the project’s stage-I to the tune of $588.4 million and partial credit guarantee of $460m. The remaining funds are being arranged by Wapda from its own resources and with sovereign guarantee of the Pakistan government.

The project will have 12 units of 360MW each. In the first phase, 2,160MW electricity will be generated by 2023. The project’s first phase started in June 2017. The second phase will begin in 2023 on the completion of the first phase.