ISLAMABAD, Aug 23 (ABC): Pakistan plans to add 1,960 megawatts of hydropower capacity during 2026-27, with three units of the Tarbela 5th Extension Project accounting for the bulk of the planned addition.
According to the power generation commissioning schedule for July 2026 to June 2027, available with Wealth Pakistan, five hydropower entries being developed or refurbished by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) have a combined capacity of 1,960MW.
Hydropower represents about 51.8% of the total 3,787.24MW generation capacity listed in the commissioning schedule.
The largest contribution will come from the Tarbela 5th Extension Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where three 510MW generating units are scheduled to become operational during 2026.
Tarbela to add 1,530MW
WAPDA plans to commission the first 510MW Tarbela unit in September 2026. The second unit is scheduled to follow in November and the third in December.
Together, the three units will add 1,530MW of hydropower capacity.
The Tarbela units account for about 78% of the total hydropower capacity covered by the schedule. They also represent more than 40% of the programme’s overall 3,787.24MW capacity.
The commissioning timetable places most of the planned hydropower addition in the first half of fiscal year 2026-27. All three Tarbela units are scheduled to become operational by December 2026.
Dasu unit scheduled for May 2027
Another major hydropower addition will come from the Dasu Hydropower Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the schedule, WAPDA plans to commission the project’s first 360MW unit in May 2027.
The Dasu unit represents about 18.4% of the 1,960MW hydropower capacity covered by the commissioning programme.
Tarbela and Dasu together account for 1,890MW of the planned hydropower addition.
The remaining 70MW will come from the refurbishment of Units 9 and 10 at Mangla in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The schedule places their commissioning in June 2027.
Hydropower leads commissioning schedule
Apart from hydropower, the generation schedule includes 301.9MW under the photovoltaic market and 49.2MW under the wind market. Both have commercial operation dates of July 2026.
The schedule also includes 1,476.14MW of net-metering solar capacity under power distribution companies.
Hydropower remains the largest generation source covered by the schedule. Its planned 1,960MW capacity accounts for more than half of the total generation capacity listed for commissioning during the period.
The three Tarbela units alone account for the majority of the planned hydel capacity, followed by the first Dasu unit and the refurbished Mangla units.
If the projects proceed according to the stated commissioning timetable, Pakistan will bring 1,960MW of hydropower capacity into operation through new generation and refurbishment by June 2027.
