The dam of the Suki Kinari Hydropower Station (SK Station) in Pakistan was capped on May 15 local time.
As the core part of the hydropower station project, the dam is a main player in flood control and discharge.
The asphalt concrete core-wall rockfill dam has a maximum height of 54.5 meters and a crest of 10 meters in width and 258 meters in length. The backfill volume of the dam is nearly 1.9 million cubic meters, equaling seven-tenth of the Khufu Pyramid.
The SK Station was invested and built by China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (Energy China) and the construction of the dam started in April 2021.
A view of the dam of the Suki Kinari Hydropower Station (SK Station) in Pakistan [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The SK Station is one of the first projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. It is also the largest overseas greenfield hydroelectric project invested by Energy China. It will be equipped with an impact hydraulic generator unit with the largest unit capacity of its kind in the world and will have the world's deepest pressure shaft well cluster.
Located over the Kunhar River, the high-head long-tunnel diversion-type hydropower station has a total investment of $1.9 billion and will be equipped with four impact hydraulic generator units with a total installed capacity of 884 megawatts.
In addition to the dam, the main structure of the station includes a diversion tunnel and the main machine house.
Construction of the project started on Dec 31, 2016 and is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
Once operational, the project is expected to provide more than 3.21 billion kilowatt-hours of clean power annually, supporting one-fifth of the country's power supply and relieving its power shortage while greatly reducing its reliability on nonrenewable resources. The station will also contribute to high-quality economic and social development in Pakistan.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
