Islamabad, 22 December 2021 (TDI): Chinese-built Neelum-Jhelum project was officially handed over to authorities in a ceremony. It is one of the largest hydropower stations in Pakistan with an estimated annual electricity generation capacity of about 5.15 bln kWh.
With this much power generation capacity, the hydropower plant will be able to ease the power shortage in Pakistan. The signing ceremony of the Take-over Certificate (TOC-10) for the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Station Project was held on December 21, in Islamabad.
The project has been made by the China Gezhouba Group Company Limited (CGGC). It is a Chinese construction and engineering company based in Wuhan.
Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Station Project
The Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Station Project is one of a kind as it has the deepest surge shaft in Asia along with crossing the Himalayan fault zone. Furthermore, the project took almost ten years of construction. The total installed capacity of the project is 969 MW.
While the annual electricity generation is 5.15 billion kWh. Moreover, it will provide clean energy at a lower price to the local populace. The Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Plant is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power scheme which makes it a clean and green energy project.
Construction on Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Plant (NJHP) began in 2008. The first generator was commissioned in 2018. It is located in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, and is 42 km south of Muzaffarabad.
The project is designed to divert water from the Neelum River to a power station on the Jhelum River. The hydropower project is an example of a mutually advantageous collaboration between the two longtime partners.
Suki Kinari Project
China and Pakistan collaborate with each other in a wide range of fields. Besides the Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Plant, the CGGC is also working on the Suki Kinari Project in the Mansehra district of Pakistan. Suki Kinari Project is also a clean green energy project like the NJHP.
