Pakistan spends $176M to speed up hydropower project

Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority has agreed to buy two tunnel boring machines for the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project.

Tunnel boring machines were not mentioned in the original contract being implemented by a Chinese company.

The contractor proposed to deploy a tunnel boring machines for the construction of a 9.1km-long headrace tunnel to accelerate the progress and bring the first power unit online.

The deal became controversial as the Chinese contractor came up with a proposal to use it without the endorsement of a credible foreign consultant, which is the standard practice.

As no international consultant recommended the use of the tunnel boring machines for the Neelum Jhelum hydropower project, Wapda managed to get the endorsement from a retired employee who now works as a consultant, according to an official.

According to Wapda’s in house consultant and former employee of Wapda Abdul Khaliq Khan, the proposed acceleration of the tunnel construction by use of tunnel boring machines method will increase the project cost by around Rs16 billion or US$176 million. 

According to officials of Water and Power Ministry, there are several uncertainties regarding the machines working in Pakistan. They questioned how the contractor will provide economically 10MW for TBMs to function and how these TBMs will work in Neelum Jhelum’s soft rock, siltstone, mild-stone and sandstone.

The convergence factors become higher when minor seismic events are a regular event. “TBMs will clearly facing the prospect of being trapped up to 2.5km below the surface and there will be several issues of dewatering,” said the official.

“Very high pumping capacity is required otherwise all is lost. If the TBM has ideal conditions it can give 20 metres a day in good rock conditions but Neelum Jhelum’s soil will not even permit 10 metres a day,” official said.

Neelum Jhelum Hydel Power Company Chief Executive Officer Lieutenant General (retd) Muhammad Zubair accepted that use of the machines was not approved at the start of the agreement, however, he pointed out that another group of foreign experts approved it later.

The group of foreign experts included a Swiss who mentioned that the machine is used in Switzerland where rocks are of similar composition, he added. The machine is also being used at 22 different sites in India.

The machine will save us a couple of years and reap a benefit of Rs67 billion, added Zubair.

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