The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has successfully restored Unit No. 1 at the Gomal Zam Hydel Power Station in South Waziristan. This crucial repair brings the facility back to its full generation capacity of 17.4 MW. Consequently, the plant is no longer stuck running at half capacity, a problem that persisted for the last eight years.
According to an official WAPDA statement released on Thursday, engineers completed all commissioning tests for the rehabilitated unit. Technicians then synchronized it with the National Grid. As a result, the unit is now locked in for safe, reliable, and commercial operation.
Overcoming an Eight-Year Performance Slump
This breakthrough means both of the station’s 8.7 MW generating units are finally up and running. Before this milestone, the facility produced a meager 8.7 MW. This slump started back in 2018 when WAPDA engineers used in-house expertise and local resources to fix only Unit No. 2.
The trouble originally began in October 2016. At that time, a severe technical fault knocked out the reverse power protection relay, which forced both units to shut down completely. While teams patched up Unit No. 2 by June 2018, Unit No. 1 required an extensive and costly overhaul. Furthermore, volatile security conditions in South Waziristan repeatedly delayed these vital repair efforts over the years.
Quick Execution of the Rehabilitation Contract
To resolve the issue, WAPDA awarded a Rs. 359.5 million rehabilitation contract to a joint venture. The project officially kicked off on April 5, 2026. Remarkably, workers wrapped up the entire overhaul within just 80 days. Thanks to this swift timeline, the unit went fully operational on June 25, 2026.
The Broader Impact of Gomal Zam Dam
The Gomal Zam Hydel Power Station serves as a vital component of the larger, multi-purpose Gomal Zam Dam project. Beyond injecting electricity into the grid, the reservoir holds a gross water storage capacity of 1.14 million acre-feet. Therefore, the dam successfully irrigates around 191,139 acres of farmland in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This water supply actively boosts agricultural growth, controls seasonal floods, and improves local livelihoods.
On average, the hydropower station pumps 90.9 million units of electricity annually into the National Grid. It achieves this delivery through the 132-kV South Waziristan-Tank transmission line.
A Symbol of Pakistan-China Cooperation
In addition to its economic benefits, the Gomal Zam Dam stands as a prime example of infrastructure cooperation between Pakistan and China. WAPDA initially awarded the construction contract to a Chinese joint venture back in 2002. This team included the China National Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Corporation alongside the Harbin Power Engineering Company.
However, the project faced severe friction. Insurgents kidnapped two Chinese engineers in 2004, which forced a total suspension of work due to deteriorating security.
Fortunately, momentum shifted in 2007 when Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) took over the site to resume construction. Soon after, the project managers brought on China’s state-owned Sinohydro Corporation as the primary engineering subcontractor. Sinohydro handled the dam and hydropower components, ultimately playing a definitive role in pushing the massive project across the finish line.
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