All about Ghazi Barotha HydroPower project

1. Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project
Location:
Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project is a 1,450 MW run-of-the-
river hydropower connected to the Indus River about 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Attock in
Punjab, Pakistan.
Introduction:
The shortage of electrical power at affordable cost has long been identified as
one of the main hurdles to the industrial and economic growth of Pakistan. The demand for
electricity is growing rapidly and requires a considerable increase in the rate at which new
generating capacity is introduced.
Construction of the project that began in 1995 consists of 5 generators each with a maximum
power generation capacity of 290MW. Establishment of the plant on 19 August 2003 by
President General Pervez Musharraf also saw the commissioning of the first 2 of the 5 generators
i.e Unit 1 and Unit 2. The last generator was commissioned on 6 April 2004 and the project was
completed by that December. It cost US$2.1 billion with funding from Pakistan's Water and
Power Development Authority (WAPDA), the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Japan
Bank for International Cooperation, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, European Investment Bank
and Islamic Development Bank.

2. Main features:
Thisprojectconsistof 3 maincomponents:
 The Barrage
 PowerChannel
 PowerComplex
Barrage
The Barrage located 7 km downstream of Tarbela Dam, provides a pond which re-regulates the daily
discharge from Tarbela by diverting the flow into the Power Channel. The principal features include
20 No. standard bays, 8 No. under sluices and 8 No. head regulator bays in addition to rim
embankments, fuse plug and dividing island.
The Barrage can pass the design flood of 18,700 cumecs (6,60,000 cusecs) , equivalent to the flood
of record, through the standard bays and undersluices at the normal pond level of El. 340 m
(1115.50ft). The fuse plug has been provided to pass the extreme flood up to the capacity of
Tarbela’s spillway and tunnels equaling 46,200 cumecs (1630000 cusecs).

3. Barrage Metric Units British Units
Normal pond level 340 m SPD 1115.5 ft
Max. (Survival) pond level 341.5m SPD 1120.4 ft
Min Pond Storage level 334.5 m SPD 1097.4 ft
Live storage capacity 50 MCM 40535.70 Acre ft
Design flood discharge capacity 18750 cumecs 662,200 cusecs
Survival flood capacity 46,200 cumecs 1,631,600 cusecs
Standard Bays 20 (18.3 x 8.3 m) 8 (60 x 11.5 ft)
Head regulator 8 (18.3 x 7.5 m) 8(60 x 25 ft)

4. Power Channel
Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project holds the record for the biggest concrete lined channel in the
world. The channel is 51.90 km long with a concrete lining and design flow of up to 1600 cumecs at
a water depth of 9 m. It has a bottom width of 58.4 m.
The Power Channel has a nearly contour alignment with hills on the left side and the land naturally
draining towards the Indus River on the right side. The Power Channel intercepts fifty three nullahs
(natural drains) of which twenty-seven major nullahs have been passed over the Power Channel by
providing super passages..
Main Features
Design flow 1,600 cumecs
Longitudinal slope 1:9600
Length 51,906 m
Full supply depth 9 m
Bed width 58.4 m
Side slope IV: 2H
Lining thickness 135 mm

5. Power Complex
The Power Complex is located near the confluence of the Indus and Haro rivers. It
comprises a forebay, a siphon spillway , two head ponds, a power in take structure,
penstocks, a power house with five 290 MW each turbo generators and a tail race
channel.
The two head ponds with a combined live storage capacity of approximately 25.5 million
cubic meters is sufficient for daily requirement of 4 hours peak generation. This means
that in May and June when there is reduced generation from Tarbela and Mangla power

6. houses, due to low reservoir levels, Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project provides peak
production of 1450 MW.
The five generating units in the Powerhouse are each fed by a 10.6 m diameter steel lined
penstock. Each of the five 290 MW Turbo Generators can take a peak flow of 460 cumecs.
GENERAL
No. of Generating Units 5
Rated Capacity per Unit 290 MW
Total installed Capacity 1450 MW
Generation voltage 18 KV
Rated Head (Ft.) 69 Meters