ISLAMABAD: The 969-MW Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project, which has been inactive since July 6, has incurred an estimated loss of Rs 22.50 billion (Rs 2) due to a blockage in the 3.5-km Tail Race Tunnel (TRT). Is. .50 billion in construction costs and Rs.20 billion in business losses).
A senior official of Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Company Limited (NJHPCL) told The News, “The project will now be commissioned by the end of February 2023.
When asked who would bear the loss, either the government or NICL (National Insurance Company Limited), the official said that both heads, TRT, and business losses are covered under the insurance contract. So WAPDA will not bear the loss. .
NICL owns 7 percent of the insurance proceeds and 93 percent of a group of Chinese companies. And they will share the cost of operationalizing the project.
The official said that since the CoD of the project i.e. April 2018, the insurance company is getting Rs 1 billion from NJHPCL and so far the insurance company has received Rs 4 billion. Now they will pay 2.5 billion rupees for damages and 20 billion rupees for business loss.
The person said that the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project generates a turnover of Rs 48 to 50 billion.
Four units (turbines) of the project are operational in three months of summer, three units in six months and only one unit runs on water flow in three months of winter.
The official said that the authorities have decided to purchase a maintenance vehicle to inspect the tunnel and the construction of the tunnel will be completed as soon as possible.
Initial reports on the tunnel disaster indicate that on July 4, when the plant was operating at its full capacity (969 MW), the powerhouse saw an unusual increase in water discharge, which was controlled by continuous drainage pumps. .
On investigation, the water pressure in the TRT was observed to be high. Accordingly, on July 5, it was concluded by the project consultants that the abnormal rise in TRT pressure and water leakage/seepage in the power house was the cause of the TRT blockage.
Keeping in view the safety of the power structure and all other equipment/machinery, the units were phased out. As a result, the power house was shut down on July 6.
Immediately after the incident, China Gazuba Group Co. (CGGC), the civil works construction contractor, was busy carrying out remedial works.
The firm rushed to the site immediately and signed a contract on August 5 and started work on August 27.
The Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project was completed at a cost of Rs 430 billion and started functioning in April 2018 deep in the mountains in Azad Jammu and Kashmir where the geology is neither predictable nor readable. capable of
