Patrind Hydropower Project has produced 480 GWh of electricity since its commercial operations in November 2017 against the production of 640 GWh estimated in the PC1, revealed senior officials of the project. The project was completed with $436 million including $97 million assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Chief Engineer Habib-ur-Rehman Jadoon said that as per the commitment, NTDC had to complete transmission line before the project completion but quoting financial constraints, it revised the deadlines repeatedly. Now NTDC has given the commitment to complete the 45kms long Mansehra transmission line for Patrind power project by June 2019, but it seems too difficult, officials revealed in a background briefing to a select group of mediapersons.
The transmission line from Patrind to Mansehra is 45kms which would be a relaxed line and would reduce tripping probability. The existing load of 150MW is not supported by the Muzaffarabad-Attia-Jhelum-Mangla transmission line, which is a long, old and complex route and resultantly voltage drops.
"When we operate the project in peak, we face problems due to inability of NTDC to transmit the maximum power, as they ask for reducing load. If we have maximum load and cannot transmit, it results into billions of rupees loss to the government. If we produce 140MW instead of capacity of 150MW, it results into losses to the national exchequer," Jadoon added.
The official further stated that due to climate changes, little snowfall has been witnessed during the last as well as current seasons which resulted in water shortage. The project is solely dependant on Kaghan glacier but for the first time during the last 60 years such situation has been faced due to which power plant could not be made operational. But even if water is available due to rains and can run the project with full potential, the NTDC asks for low load due to transmission lines.
The project involves construction and operation of a 147MW run-of-the-river hydroelectric power generation facility between the Kunhar and Jhelum Rivers near Muzaffarabad on a BOT basis for a period of 30 years from the commercial operations date.
The project promoted private sector participation in the country's hydropower sector under the Power Policy 2002. In addition, the project stimulates local employment and economic activities, the officials added.
The project is consistent with ADB's Strategy 2020 which emphasises investment in infrastructure to achieve high sustainable economic progress, connect the poor to the markets, and increase their access to basic productive assets, as part of ADB's support for achieving inclusive growth.
The ADB's support for the project is in line with the Country Partnership Strategy for Pakistan during 2009-13 which emphasises the importance of energy sector development (particularly clean energy), private sector participation in infrastructure development, and expansion of ADB's private sector operations in the hydroelectric sector. The weir side of the project can be reached through Boi Road on right side of River Kunhar at a distance of approximately 12.3km from Garhi Habibullah, a small town in district Mansehra. The powerhouse side of the project is accessible from Lower Chattar, Muzaffarabad, where a class 70 bridge has been constructed across river Jhelum as part of the Project for access to the powerhouse.
Syed Qamar Ali Shah, Manager HSE & CSR Korea Water Resources Corporation said that the project has created over 2,610 job opportunities where majority of employees is from AJK followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Talking about CSR activities, he said the Corporation provides school uniforms to the needy, besides donating Rs 80,000 for repair of electrical poles and cables while Rs 15 million were donated to Muzaffarabad Development Authority (MDA) for development of a park.