The cost of power evacuation from Suki Kinari, Kohala and Mahal hydropower projects has increased from Rs 73.7 billion to Rs 79.9 billion due to rupee depreciation against the US dollar. Sources told that revised cost of the project has been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday last and the project to be sponsored by the Ministry of Power and implemented by the NTDC would be financed by multi-tranche financing facility of the Asian Development Bank.

The project cost in the original PC-I was Rs 73.287 billion with Rs 35.813 billion local component and Rs 37.473 billion foreign exchange component (FEC) at exchange rate of Rs 105.31. However, the cost has been revised upward to Rs 79 billion by the ECNEC in the revised PC due to depreciation of rupee from Rs 105.31 to Rs 124.08 against the US dollar.

The main objective of the project is construction of 500 KV transmission network to provide interconnection facilities for evacuation from power projects being constructed under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - 870 MW Suki Kinari, 1124 MW Kohala and 590 MW Mahal hydro projects in December 2022, June 2024 and December 2025 respectively.

The scope of the project in Phase-1 includes; (i) 500 kV double circuit quad bundled transmission line on bunting conductor from Suki Kinari HPP to 500 kV Malra Switching Station (200 km); (ii) 500 kV double circuit quad bundled transmission line on bunting conductor from Maira switching station to 500 kV Islamabad West (140 km); (iii) 500 kV double circuit quad bundled transmission line on drake conductor from Maira to Karot HPP (20 km);(iv) and 500 kV switching station at Maira with eight line bays and four shunt reactor banks along with allied equipment and accessories and two 500 kV line bays at 500 kV Islamabad West substation stations. Phase-II includes ;(i) 500 kV double circuit quad bundled transmission line on bunting conductor from Maira switching station to 500 kV Lahore North grid station (235 km); (ii) 500 kV double circuit quad bundled transmission line on bunting conductor for in/out of 500 kV Maira-Suki Kinari single circuit transmission line at Kohala HPP (1km); (iii) 500 kV double circuit quad bundled transmission line on drake conductor for in/out of 500 kV Neelum-Jhelum-Gujranwala transmission line at Kohala HPP (1 km); (iv) 500 kV double circuit quad bundled transmission line on bunting conductor for in/out of Maira-Suki Kinari transmission line at Mahal HPP (50 km); (v) 500 kV double circuit quad bundled transmission line on bunting conductor for in/out of Maira-Suki Kinari transmission line at Azad Pattan HPP (50 km); (vi) two line bays 500 kV Lahore North substation;(vii) and addition of 500/220 kV 750 MVA Transmission line at Lahore North substation along with allied equipment accessories.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2018