February 04, 2008	Monday	Muharram 25, 1429

MIANWALI, Feb 3: The Chashma Nuclear Power Plant has resumed power generation after eight-day closure on account of annual maintenance and repairs, sources told Dawn on Sunday.

However, the Chashma Hydro Power Project, which was closed a few days ago owing to development of a major fault in its turbines, is yet to start functioning despite hectic efforts.

The nuclear plant contributes 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Wapda grid and the resumption of power generation is likely to help Wapda reduce power deficit and overcome loadshedding affecting the whole country.

“The nuclear power plant has started functioning and is working satisfactorily,” an official, who wished not to be named, told Dawn on Sunday.

The 184-MW hydro power project, which was closed a few days ago after a technical fault developed in three of its eight turbines each having capacity to generate 23 MW, is yet to start functioning.

Sources said that only these three turbines were working mainly because of acute shortage of water in Indus River and were producing 69 MW of power but these three turbines too collapsed suddenly after being struck by sediments on Jan 29.

Wapda general-manager (hydral) Athar Masood rushed from Lahore to Chashma and he also called engineers from Tarbela to repair these turbines. The authorities earlier announced restarting the plant from Jan 31 but it could not happen till the filing of this report.

Sources said the general manager himself was supervising the repair work going on round-the-clock.

When Dawn tried to contact the general-manager at his camp office in Chashma, he was not available.