Pakistan Major Dams News and Discussions

[ghazi52]

Karot Hydropower Project (720 MW) was commissioned on 29 June 2022, becoming the first major hydropower project completed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the first large-scale hydropower investment under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Located on the Jhelum River, Karot HPP has become a cornerstone of Pakistan's clean energy transition. Since its commissioning, the project has generated a cumulative 11 billion kWh of clean electricity (as of 2026), with an average annual generation of approximately 3,206 GWh.

The project supplies enough renewable electricity to meet the annual energy needs of more than 5 million Pakistanis, while avoiding approximately 12 million tonnes of cumulative CO₂ emissions—equivalent to around 3.5 million tonnes of CO₂ each year.

Developed under the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model with a 30-year concession period, Karot Hydropower Project will eventually be transferred to Pakistan as a permanent national asset, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.

Commissioned: 29 June 2022

Installed Capacity: 720 MW

Cumulative Generation (2022–2026): 11 Billion kWh

Average Annual Generation: 3,206 GWh

 

[ghazi52]

Tarbela Dam Spillway..

 

[ghazi52]

Tarbela Dam at night photo taken from down stream.

 

[iron shrapnel]

Tarbela Dam at night photo taken from down stream.


View attachment 203258

Is that taken infront of ghazi barage ? There used to be two hotels one on the lake called Abaseen and I don't remember the name that was downstream.... Good memories

 

[iron shrapnel]

Good News !

Gomal Zam hydropower station restored to full capacity after eight years

The station's two generating units had ceased operations in Oct 2016 due to a major technical fault, one of which was restored in 2018.

www.dawn.com

 

[iron shrapnel]

There were some chatter of Punjab govt also now interested in building dams.... I honestly believe one of the easiest dams that could be built would be the Soan Dam... Most of the land is owned by housing societies that are mostly empty... Would be one of the easiest land acquisitions....

 

[RealNapster]

Because the dam will take 3 to 5 years to be made and then you wait for the rain which may or may not come in the tenure of the present government.
When it does rain,
-- it may not be enough to fill the dam
but
-- if it does fill the dam then, being in a far flung and less populated area, it wont be visible to the awam.
-- The same ungrateful and illiterate awam then may not connect rain with possible flash floods and then realise how big of a blessing the rulers have been by spending the awam money on the country and thus may not shower praise on them.

The current and previous incompetent rulers want a show piece to shove it down the throat of awam every time they go to a jalsa. Atomic explosions, motorway, and metro bus are still used in jalsa. Till last elections, the LNG based power plants and coal power plants were touted as greatest projects to rid pakistan of darkness only for them to become devastating for the agriculture, health and the energy mix.

These are the reasons very few long term projects lasting more than 5 yrs development have been made in Pakistan.

Its fcukedup man. How can such a country survive or exist for longer ? I feel bad saying this but that is the reality. Everybody with last brain cells left will tell you this country is not designed to exist for long.

 

[RealNapster]

Good News !

Gomal Zam hydropower station restored to full capacity after eight years

The station's two generating units had ceased operations in Oct 2016 due to a major technical fault, one of which was restored in 2018.

www.dawn.com

So all it needed was 400 million rupees and 80 days to repair it and yet it took wapda 8 years ?

Indeed a day to celebrate. Congratualtions to Pakistani awaam on this yet another accomplishment and a world-first.

 

[Fatman17]

Dasu, Diamer Bhasha, Neelum Jhelum costs hit Rs3.9trn - Profit by Pakistan Today

AGP report flags 257% cost overrun at Dasu, Rs29bn annual loss and Rs99bn business interruption loss at Neelum Jhelum, and slow progress on Diamer Bhasha despite major spending

share.google

 

[ghazi52]

Two amazing comparison pics of Mangla Dam taken more than 45 years apart. The first 1960’s pic is from the COX FAMILY album. FROM ANDREW GARFATH-COX: Dam and Main Spillway.

The second pic is from the A. AHMED KHAN album. FROM AHMED: Main Dam and Main Spillway. September 11, 2014.

 

[ghazi52]

Is that taken infront of ghazi barage ? There used to be two hotels one on the lake called Abaseen and I don't remember the name that was downstream.... Good memories

Yes.
My village.

 

[iron shrapnel]

Yes.
My village.

Beautiful village and Beautiful people. Is the Abaseen hotel still there ?
& A question as well.... Who owns that huge Mansion along TM clony ? The one with the huge walls and conjoined orchard....

 

[Fatman17]

KOEN seeks Islamabad’s support as $1bn hydropower projects face uncertainty

South Korea’s state-owned Korea South-East Power Company (KOEN) has urged Pakistan to remove regulatory hurdles...

share.google

 

[hydrabadi_arab]

I am not sure if there is some mistake in this data, but this dam is supposed to cost less then 1 billion rupees. Why is government of Punjab not building it from its own resources ? KPk is building a dam that is supposed to produce 300 MW electricity through its own financing.

@hydrabadi_arab , maybe punjab government can transfer 1 billion rupees from that 900 billion surplus it have in this budget for this dam . Can you request Maryam safdar on our behalf ?

View attachment 203206

56 small dams built at cost of over Rs26 billion

CM orders finance dept to release funds for 30 more projects

www.dawn.com

@Watandar

Murunj dam will cost like $1 billion and produce virtually no electricity. Which mean hardly any investment will come for it so can only be build with PSDP. Its likely to be build next decade after Bhasha dam is completed.

Govt speeds up work to add 8MAF water storage through four mega dams

May 31, 2026

The government has accelerated work on four major dam projects that are expected to add more than eight million acre feet of water storage capacity.

According to APP, the four projects with a combined live storage capacity of 8.136 million acre feet include the strategically important Diamer-Bhasha Dam with storage capacity of 6.4 MAF, Mohmand Dam with 0.676 MAF, Kurram Tangi Dam with 0.90 MAF and Nai Gaj Dam with 0.16 MAF.

In addition, several new reservoir projects with an estimated live storage capacity of 15.88 MAF are at planning and design stages.

These include Sindh Barrage with 2.0 MAF, Shyok Dam Multipurpose Project with 5.5 MAF, Akhori Dam with 7.0 MAF, Chiniot Dam with 0.93 MAF and Murunj Dam with 0.45 MAF.

 

[hydrabadi_arab]

PPIB puts 1,832MW hydropower projects on hold as rooftop solar cuts demand​

Azad Pattan, Kohala and Kathai-II projects face delays after failing to qualify under IGCEP 2025-35 least-cost optimisation

The Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) has reportedly decided to put three hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 1,832MW on hold due to declining electricity demand linked to the surge in rooftop solar generation and their exclusion from IGCEP 2025-35 least-cost optimisation.

BR reported that the matter surfaced during the audit of PPIB for FY2024-25, which found that the 700.7MW Azad Pattan, 1,124MW Kohala and 8MW Kathai-II hydropower projects remained unimplemented because of persistent delays in achieving financial close.

According to the audit findings, the Letter of Support (LoS) for the Azad Pattan project was issued on June 30, 2016, but the project failed to achieve financial close by December 31, 2024 despite five extensions.


The delay was linked to Sinosure-related financing constraints.

The project sponsor sought another extension until December 2027. However, the PPIB Board, in its 148th meeting held on August 1, 2025, decided to maintain the status quo pending the outcome of the CPEC Energy Cooperation List Adjustment Joint Study.

The project was also not optimised in the draft IGCEP 2025-35.

Similarly, the LoS for the Kohala project was issued on December 31, 2015, but the project could not reach financial close despite multiple extensions granted up to September 30, 2027.


In the case of Kathai-II, the LoS was issued on November 20, 2019. The project failed to achieve financial close due to the non-availability and delayed approval of standardised security package documents, which required approval from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE).

The PPIB Board approved cancellation of the Kathai-II LoS with mutual consent in August 2025.

The case was later referred to the Ministry in December 2025, highlighting facilitation gaps in the process.

In its response, PPIB management said the Azad Pattan and Kohala hydropower projects were not optimised in IGCEP 2025-35 because of declining demand caused by the rapid increase in rooftop solar energy.

The audit observations indicate that delays in financing, approvals and demand projections have affected the implementation of the three hydropower projects.