Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) started construction of the Jinnah project late last year, and the scheme is scheduled for completion in 2010.
The project is being built in Punjab province, southeast of Islamabad, and includes eight low-head turbines, each of 12MW capacity. It is expected to produce 688GWh of electricity per year, and the plant will be supplied by a headrace channel and discharge via a tailrace channel.
WAPDA awarded the engineer, procure and construct (EPC) turnkey contract to Chinese contractor Dongfang Electric Corp for US$128M.
Under the contract, the consultants will review the detailed engineering design, and oversee the procurement and construction processes.
MWH's previous work in Pakistan includes consultancy, in 2005, on the 1450MW Ghazi Barotha hydro scheme, which was commissioned in 2006. The company also assisted in the Indus Water Treaty, which involved major water diversions as part of a settlement between Pakistan and India.
