Chinese Joint Venture Awarded Rs 133.18 Billion Contract for Diamer-Bhasha Dam

Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has awarded the Hydromechanical (HM-1) contract for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project to a joint venture comprising Chinese company PowerChina and ICON, at a cost of Rs 133.18 billion.

According to a WAPDA spokesperson, the contract agreement was signed by Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project Director Arif Ali and Ling Jianke, representative of the joint venture. WAPDA Chairman Muhammad Saeed also attended the signing ceremony.

The spokesperson said the contract covers hydromechanical works under the major dam project, which is being constructed on the Indus River, approximately 40 kilometres south of Chilas.

Upon completion, the Diamer-Bhasha Dam is expected to have a water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet and generate 4,500 megawatts of low-cost, environmentally friendly hydropower.

The project is considered important for strengthening Pakistan’s water and energy security, increasing water availability for irrigation and supporting electricity generation to meet the country’s growing demand.