LAHORE: The second unit of the 969MW Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP), which went into a trial run two days ago, achieved full generation capacity of 242MW on Tuesday after having been tested successfully with 100pc load rejection.

Earlier, the project was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after its first unit started electricity generation on a trial basis on April 9.

“The project has so far injected over one million units of hydel electricity into the national grid. The first and second units of the project are expected to start commercial operation soon,” says a Wapda spokesperson.

The NJHP, located near Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir, comprises four generating units – each with 242.25MW power generation capacity. All four units of the project are scheduled to be completed by July this year.

The project is considered to be an engineering marvel, with 90pc underground portion in the high mountainous areas. The project will provide about five billion units of electricity annually to the national grid. The benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs55bn per annum.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2018