WAPDA chairman: Tarbela dam expansion project will increase capacity to 6,418 MW

The WAPDA chairman toured the Tarbela fifth expansion project to assess the status of construction at many important project locations, such as the powerhouse and tech tunnel.

Officials told the chairman during a thorough briefing that work is now being done on six major project sites concurrently, with equipment installation for the powerhouse’s three production units already under way.

Completed by 2025–2026, the expansion project will significantly increase Tarbela’s production capacity by 1,530 MW and is an essential component of WAPDA’s low-cost, environmentally friendly electricity generation program.

When finished, the Tarbela hydropower complex would have a total capacity of 6,418 MW, enhancing Pakistan’s renewable energy sources.

With $390 million from the World Bank and $300 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the project is being financed by significant international lenders.

The availability of supplementary resources was highlighted as being crucial to the timely completion of the project.