The World Bank has approved $1 billion to construct the Dasu Dam.
This financing will support the expansion of hydropower electricity supply, improve access to socio-economic services for local communities, and build the Water and Power Development Authority’s (WAPDA) capacity to prepare future hydropower projects.
DHP is a run-of-river project on the Indus River about 8 km from Dasu Town, the capital of the Upper Kohistan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. It will have an installed capacity of 4,320–5,400 MW upon completion.
World Bank okays $149.7m in financing for two projects in Pakistan
The project is being built in stages. DHP-I has a capacity of 2,160 MW and will generate 12,225 gigawatt hours (GWh)/per year of low-cost renewable energy. The DHP-II will add 9,260–11,400 GWh annually from the same dam.
DHP-I is an essential project in Pakistan’s efforts to reverse its dependence on fossil fuels and reach 60 percent renewable energy by 2031 said Rikard Liden, Task Team Leader for the Project. The second additional financing will facilitate the expansion of the electricity supply and potentially save Pakistan an estimated $1.8 billion annually by replacing imported fuels, and offsetting around 5 million tons of carbon dioxide. The annual economic return of DHP-I is estimated to be around 28 percent.