LAHORE, April 19: A powerhouse (No 3) of the Satpara Dam Project, having an installed capacity of 2,360 kilowatt, started power generation on Friday.

The under-construction powerhouse (No 4) having an installed capacity of 1,400KW is also scheduled to go into operation by the end of this month.

With completion of these two powerhouses, the Satpara Dam Power Complex will attain the capacity of 17.36 megawatt (MW). These two powerhouses utilise the water used for running the powerhouse number two as cascade system for electricity generation.

The first two powerhouses of the project have been operating since October 2007 and December 2008 respectively and have contributed more than 140 million units of low-cost hydel electricity providing the much-needed relief to the local populace.

Satpara Dam – the first-ever mega water and power project in Gilgit Baltistan – is located in the vicinity of Skardu Town.

The project consists of three components -- dam, irrigation system and power complex comprising four powerhouses. The dam was completed in July 2010 and the irrigation system in 2012.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided a grant of $26 million to help complete the project. The dam has a water storage capacity of 93,000-acre feet to irrigate more than 15,000 acres. The project is also providing 3.1 million gallons of potable water daily to the local populace.