China delivers largest Pelton turbines to Pakistan

Bureau Report

PESHAWAR: China delivered the largest Pelton turbines to Pakistan for Suki Kinari (SK) Hydropower Project.
ANDRITZ was awarded a contract to supply four 210 MW Pelton units for this project. Vevey Lab, Switzerland conducted the model acceptance test in 2019. On the very day, 20 globally leading turbine experts from all stakeholders witnessed the model acceptance test.
After uninterrupted tests for nearly 150 hours (six days and nights), all the tested items, including efficiency, vibration, speed, air admission as well as the geometric size, met the Contract requirements.
Successful model test for the largest Pelton turbines in Pakistan. Suki Kinari, Kunhar River, 840 MW, picture credits @Andritz
In 2018, ANDRITZ HYDRO China received an order for Suki Kinari hydropower plant. This project is under the framework of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC). The EPC contract was signed between CGGC (China Gezhouba Group) and SK Hydro in 2013.
ANDRITZ HYDRO China signed it with HEC (Harbin Electric Machinery Company) – subcontractor to CGGC, for the supply of four 225 MW Pelton turbines. These turbines represent the largest Pelton turbines in Pakistan.
SK Hydro power project with an installed generation capacity of 870 MW is one of Pakistan’s largest private sector power development projects and is being constructed as part of CPEC’s ‘Early Harvest’ projects.
It is being developed in beautiful valley of Kaghan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Due to the tight schedule and early harvest project of CPEC the construction activities were not stopped even during the pandemic.
The total cost of the project is $1.9 billion and it is being developed on the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, which implies that the Chinese would operate it for 30 years after which the project would be transferred to the KP government.
Once completed, the project will add 884 megawatts to the national grid and all four units are expected to become fully operational by 2022.