Karot Hydropower Project

Karot Hydropower Project
Location of Karot Hydropower Project in Pakistan
Official name Karot Hydropower Project
Location Punjab, Pakistan
Coordinates 33°35′59.29″N 073°36′4.42″E / 33.5998028°N 73.6012278°E / 33.5998028; 73.6012278Coordinates: 33°35′59.29″N 073°36′4.42″E / 33.5998028°N 73.6012278°E / 33.5998028; 73.6012278
Status Under construction
Construction began January 2016
Opening date Apr 2021
Construction cost $1.42 billion
Owner(s) Karot Power Company
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Embankment, rock-fill
Impounds Jhelum River
Height 95.5 m (313 ft)
Length 460 m (1,510 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity 164.5 million
Maximum length 27 km (17 mi)
Normal elevation 461 m (1,512 ft)
Power Station
Commission date Apr 2021
Turbines 4 x 190 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity 720 MW
Annual generation 3,436 GWH

The Karot Hydropower Project is an under construction run-of-river concrete-core rockfill gravity dam in Pakistan with an installed capacity of 720 MW. The Karot Hydropower Station in Pakistan is the first investment project of the Silk Road Fund, is part of the much larger CPEC China–Pakistan Economic Corridor[1], and is expected to be completed in 2020. [2]

The Karot project is being developed by Karot Power Company comprising Three Gorges South Asia Investment Limited, a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation, China-CTGC and Associated Technologies of Pakistan. It is the first hydropower project financed by China’s Silk Road Project.

After completion, the company will run and maintain the project for 30 years at a levelised tariff of 7.57 cents per unit after which it will be transferred to the Punjab government at a notional price of Rs.1.

Background

The Jhelum River is the largest river of Indus Basin River System, and its hydropower potential was identified by various studies carried out by international agencies, with the first report issued by the Canadian Consultant group MONENCO in 1983, followed by a 1994 study by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) that formally proposed the Karot Hydropower Project.[3]

Location

The Karot Hydropower Project is planned on Jhelum River near Karot Village some 1.7 kilometers upstream of Karot Bridge and 74 km upstream of Mangla Dam. The Project site is accessible through the road from Islamabad – Kahuta – Kotli Road approximately 29 kilometers from Kahuta village, and 65 kilometers from Islamabad. Groundbreaking on the project took place on January 10, 2016.[4]

Project details

The major project features include construction of concrete gravity 95.5 meters high dam with a crest length of 320 meters near the village of Gohra.[5] The dam's reservoir will be approximately 164.5 million cubic meters in volume, with a length of 27 kilometers.[6][7] 72 homes and 58 businesses are expected to require relocation as a result of construction,[8] while 2.8 kilometers of the Karot-Kotli road, and 8.9 kilometers of the Azad Pattan-Kahuta road will need relocation.[9]

The power intake structure will be constructed on right bank of the river immediately upstream of Dam site and will divert the water into headrace tunnels entering into Cavern Powerhouse. The water will be discharged back to River Jhelum through tail-race channel located at right bank of the River Jhelum immediately downstream of Karot village. The dam will generate mean annual energy 3,436 GWh, and will connect to Pakistan's national electricity grid.

On September 28, 2016, the federal and Azad Jammu and Kashmir governments signed an implementation agreement with a Chinese consortium for development and operation on river Jhelum at a levelised tariff of 7.57 cents per unit for 30 years.

Financial close of the project was achieved in February 2017 while land acquisition award has also been done. As of September 2017, roughly 25 per cent civil works of the project with installed capacity of 720 MW has already been completed.

SMEC International Pty Ltd is participating as Employer's Engineer, who is providing services for project management, design review and construction supervision for 720 MW Karot hydropower project

Financing

Total costs for the project are estimated to be $2 billion, and will be funded by International Finance Corporation, China's Silk Road Fund.[10] The Export-Import Bank of China and China Development Bank will issue loans to the Karot Power Company, which is a subsidiary of China's Three Gorges Corporation.[11] it will be built on a "Build-Own-Operate-Transfer" basis for 30 years, after which ownership will be turned over to the government of Pakistan.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Q&A about the Silk Road Fund's First Project Investment". April 20, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  2. ↑ Tiezzi, Shannon (13 January 2016). "China Powers up Pakistan: The Commencement date of the project is December 01, 2016. The Energy Component of the CPEC". The Diplomat. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Punjab-EPA approves Karot Hydropower Project". Dawn. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Tiezzi, Shannon (13 January 2016). "China Powers up Pakistan: The Energy Component of the CPEC". The Diplomat. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Korot Power Company (Pvt) Ltd ("Company"), Application for Modification of the Generation License of 732 MW Karot Hydropower Project" (PDF). NEPRA. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "http://www.karotpower.com/cms/lib/downloadfiles/esia.pdf" (PDF). Karot Power. Retrieved 13 March 2016. January 2015 External link in |title= (help)
  7. ↑ http://ifcext.ifc.org/IFCExt/spiwebsite1.nsf/651aeb16abd09c1f8525797d006976ba/71c155c3afc1de8d85257ea7007130ec?opendocument,
  8. ↑ "http://www.karotpower.com/cms/lib/downloadfiles/esia.pdf" (PDF). Karot Power. Retrieved 13 March 2016. January 2015 External link in |title= (help)
  9. ↑ "http://www.karotpower.com/cms/lib/downloadfiles/esia.pdf" (PDF). Karot Power. Retrieved 13 March 2016. January 2015 External link in |title= (help)
  10. ↑ Poon, Daniel. "China's partnerships could lead the way". Asia and the Pacific Policy Society. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  11. ↑ Ingram, Elizabeth (30 April 2015). "Karot in Pakistan to be first hydropower project financed by China's Silk Road Fund". Hydroworld. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "Karot in Pakistan To Be First Hydropower Project Financed By International Finance Corporation, China's Silk Road Fund". Renewable Energy World. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
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