Islamabad: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government is looking to acquire the World Bank (WB)’s assistance in establishing a hydropower project on the Gabral tributary of the Swat river — a news source reported on September 9. The 88 MW project is expected to generate 339 gigawat hours of electricity per annum.
According to the details available, the WB is currently evaluating the project — with the venture expected to be established near Kalam in the Swat district. The project plan involves the development of a 21-meter high riverbed and a 100 meter wide weir with spillways, under sluices, a fish ladder, outlet structures and a sand trap. It is also expected to be a run-of-river project, with a limited reservoir area of fifty acres.
The project is additionally expected to produce enough energy to power 116,000 homes each year with minimal carbon emissions, although it will have an ecological impact on the tributary.
Reportedly, a total of 24 power related projects have been planned for the region over the next 20 years — with their cumulative output expected to be nearly 2,072 megawatts of power.
