The Mangla Dam, built in 1967, is one of the largest multipurpose dams in Pakistan, used for irrigation and producing hydroelectric power.
The facility is being refurbished to increase its life, efficiency and power generation capacity from 1,000MW to 1,310MW.
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The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) of Pakistan is the implementing agency for the Mangla hydropower refurbishment project, which is estimated to cost PKR52.2bn ($423m).
The refurbishment of Mangla hydropower units started in 2018, with the rehabilitation of all ten units at the plant expected to be completed by 2027.
The project is expected to extend the life of the power station by another 50 years while increasing its average annual electricity generation capacity from five billion units to 6.5 billion units.
Mangla hydroelectric power plant location
The Mangla hydropower station is located on the Jhelum River in the Mirpur district of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, about 120km away from Islamabad.
Mangla hydroelectric power plant refurbishment details
The final feasibility report of the project was submitted in December 2011. The project kickstarted with the award of key contracts in 2018.
It is being implemented in multiple phases, with two of the ten generating units being refurbished simultaneously in each phase.
As part of the project, each 100MW unit of the plant will be refurbished to increase its generating capacity by up to 35%.
The refurbishment of units one and two was completed in May 2022, followed by the commissioning of the refurbished units five and six in December of the same year.
Units three and four are the next two units to be refurbished, followed by units nine and ten. The refurbishment of all ten generating units at the plant is expected to be completed by 2027.
The project also includes the related balance of plant mechanical and electrical works and an upgrade to the existing Switchyard.
Financing
The United States Agency for International Development granted $150m for the refurbishment project.
French development bank Agence Française de Développement agreed to provide €90m ($95m) credit facility for the project in 2017.
The remaining $178m is being provided by WAPDA.
Contractors involved in the Mangla hydroelectric power plant
General Electric (GE) was awarded a $14.45m contract to refurbish units nine and ten at the Mangla hydropower station in February 2023.
The contractual scope includes the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of hydro turbines and generator components.
GE is also responsible for the ongoing refurbishment of the first six units of the Mangla hydropower station.
Alstom Hydro France was contracted to dismantle the turbines, generators, governors and exciters of units one to six in August 2016.
The powerhouse cranes refurbishment package was awarded to Zirva-ISIK-Petrocon joint venture in November 2015.
Chinese smart energy solutions provider Chint was contracted to supply the main power transformers for units three to six in November 2016.
Japan-based Kokusai Commerce was awarded a $5.81m contract to supply turbine inlet valves for the project in March 2016.
US-based environmental engineering, construction and management company MWH, National Engineering Services Pakistan and Pakistan-based Associated Consulting Engineers were appointed as consultants for the refurbishment of units one to six at the Mangla hydropower station.
Nexus Controls, an automation, controls system and safety system solutions provider, which was acquired by GE from Baker Hughes in April 2023, was contracted to design, supply, install, test and commission a new digital governor control system for the turbines of units seven and eight of the Mangla power station in 2021.
Mangla Dam hydroelectric power station details
The first four generating units of the Mangla hydropower project were commissioned in 1967. It has ten generating units/turbines having a power generating capacity of 100MW.
Units five and six were installed in 1974, followed by the installation of units seven and eight in 1981. The last two units of the power station were commissioned in 1994.
The Mangla Dam is 3,140m long and 147m high. It covers a surface area of 251km² and has a gross storage capacity of 10.8 billion cubic metres of water.
