In some good news from the sector of economic power generation, as hydropower generation has increased during the ongoing financial year.
In the first quarter of the financial year, WAPDA hydropower plants provided over 15 billion units of electricity to the national grid, which is 1.78 billion units more than last year.
According to a WAPDA spokesperson, the average production cost of hydropower is Rs3.51 per unit. The additional production has saved the national treasury about Rs50 billion.
WAPDA's total hydropower generation capacity is about 9,500 megawatts. To increase the hydropower generation capacity, work on the Diamer Bhasha, Mohmand, Dasu and Tarbela 5th Extension dams is underway.
From the phased completion of the projects till 2019, 10,000 megawatts of additional hydroelectric power will be obtained.
According to WAPDA, the current capacity of affordable hydroelectricity will be doubled upon completion of the under-construction projects.
