The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has fully restored operations at the Gomal Zam Hydropower Station after bringing its second generating unit back online.
With the restoration completed, the station has resumed its full electricity generation capacity of 17.4 megawatts (MW).
The development marks the first time in eight years that both generating units have become operational together.
As a result, the station is now expected to strengthen electricity availability and contribute additional low-cost energy to Pakistan’s national grid.
How the Hydropower Station Lost Capacity
According to WAPDA, both generating units stopped functioning in October 2016 after a major technical fault disrupted operations.
The authority later repaired one generating unit and restored it in June 2018.
After that restoration, the station resumed partial generation and produced 8.7MW of electricity.
However, the second generating unit remained inactive for years because the damage required more extensive technical work.
Consequently, the hydropower station continued operating below its designed production capacity.
Second Generating Unit Finally Returns Online
WAPDA stated that engineers successfully completed restoration work on the remaining unit and returned it to service.
Before reconnecting the unit, technical teams carried out all required operational, technical, and safety evaluations.
Following successful testing, the generating unit was synchronized with the national grid.
As both units resumed operations, electricity production at the station returned to full installed capacity.
The restoration is expected to improve energy reliability in connected areas while increasing the contribution of hydropower to the national system.
Rehabilitation Project Completed Ahead of Schedule
The authority said rehabilitation work for the second generating unit started in April 2026. The restoration project cost Rs. 359.5 million.
According to WAPDA, the work was completed within 80 days and finished ahead of schedule. The second generating unit was officially recommissioned on June 25, 2026.
Completing the rehabilitation earlier than expected allowed the station to resume full generation sooner.
What Full Restoration Means for Power Supply
With full operations restored, the hydropower station is expected to support electricity supply in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In particular, the additional generation is expected to benefit the Dera Ismail Khan Division.
Hydropower remains an important source of electricity because it provides relatively lower-cost energy compared with several conventional alternatives.
Therefore, restoring dormant generation facilities can help strengthen overall energy availability.
Connection to National Grid and Annual Generation Capacity
The Gomal Zam Hydropower Station supplies electricity through the 132-kilovolt South Waziristan Lower Tank transmission line.
According to official figures, the facility can generate approximately 90.9 million units of low-cost electricity annually.
Now that both generating units are operational again, the station is positioned to deliver electricity at its intended output level.
The restoration also represents a major milestone for the facility after years of operating with reduced capacity.
