International symposium on the hydropower development to be held today

An international symposium on the hydropower development in Pakistan will be held on Monday (today) to highlight the significance of the cheapest source of energy. Prime Minister Imran Khan will participate as a special guest in the symposium, which will be held in the PM Office auditorium, said a statement issued on Sunday.

The symposium will be addressed by the president of the International Commission on Large Dams, and renowned experts from the US, China, Turkey, Switzerland and Australia, besides the federal minister on water resources and chairman Wapda. The objective of arranging an international symposium is to underline the importance of technical and financial strategies with regard to the construction of dams and the large hydropower projects. The participants would also discuss the issues and solutions related to the construction of hydropower projects and dams.

The event would also help in enhancing the capacity building of the engineers and manpower of Pakistan. According to WAPDA, ten new dams would add 4,543 MW by 2026 and yet another 6,853MW of hydel energy to the national grid by 2028-29 under its vision of ‘Decade of Dams’ which would significantly contribute towards the socio-economic uplift of the underdeveloped areas. It would enhance the installed generation capacity of WAPDA from the existing 9,406 MW to 20,802 with more than 120 percent increase by 2028-29 in a phased manner.