Gulpur Hydropower Plant
Location of Gulpur Hydropower Plant in Pakistan
Official name	Gulpur Hydropower Plant
Location	Gulpur, Kotli District, Kotli Town of AJK, Pakistan
Coordinates	33°27′19″N 73°51′45″E / 33.45528°N 73.86250°E / 33.45528; 73.86250
Status	Operational
Construction began	January 2014
Opening date	February 2020
Owner(s)	Mira Power Private Limited
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity, roller-compacted concrete
Impounds	Poonch River, a tributary of Jhelum River
Height	35 m (115 ft)
Length	238 m (781 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity	21,893,000 m3 (17,749 acre⋅ft)
Catchment area	3,625 km2 (1,400 sq mi)
Gulpur Hydroelectric Plant
Operator(s)	Korea South-East Power Company (KOSEP)
Commission date	February 2020
Turbines	2 x 51 MW Kaplan-type
Installed capacity	102 MW gross
Annual generation	465 GWh

Gulpur Hydropower Plant (GHPP) is an operational run-of-the-river hydroelectric generation project located on Poonch River, a major tributary of Jhelum River near Gulpur in Kotli District of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The site is about 167 km from Federal Capital Islamabad and 285 kilometres (177 mi) from Punjab's Provincial Capital Lahore and is approachable directly from Islamabad and Lahore by a two-lane, all-weather, paved, partly mountainous road. The location of the project is about 28 km upstream of Mangla Dam Reservoir.^[1]

Gulpur Hydropower Project is a run-of-the-river project designed for the generation of 100 megawatts (130,000 hp) consisting of two Kaplan-type turbine units with an average energy output of 436 Gwh.^[2] Gulpur Hydropower Project is a part of least-cost energy generation plan, being executed by WAPDA to harness the indigenous hydropower resources of the country. WAPDA awarded the contract to MIRA Power Limited, a subsidiary of Korean company KOSEP, an independent power producer (IPP) being developed in the private sector on a BOOT basis (Build, Own, Operate and Transfer) under Government of Pakistan Policy for Power Generation Projects 2002 as adopted in Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The project has the capability of generating an average annual energy of 465 GWh.^[3]

Background and construction

Gulpur Hydropower Project is the third independent hydropower project in Pakistan. Korean company has also been awarded other contracts to build hydropower plants in the country on a BOOT basis i.e. under construction 150 MW Patrind Hydropower Plant and 100MW Kotli Hydropower Project.

The sponsor of the project is Korean South East Power Company along with Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd. and Lotte Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. The Construction of the Project has been awarded to a joint venture between Daelim and Lotte.

Construction of the Gulpur Hydropower Plant commenced in September 2014 and the project is expected to be completed in early 2020.^[4] The total cost of the project is about PKR 34 billion. Gulpur Hydropower Project is part of the least-cost energy generation plan of the Government of Pakistan. It is being executed on a priority basis to harness indigenous hydropower resources to improve the ratio of hydel electricity in the national grid and help provide relief to the consumers.

On its completion, the Gulpur Hydropower project will generate about 465 Gwh of inexpensive electricity annually to earn revenue of about Rs 1 billion. Being an environment-friendly hydropower project,^{[citation needed]} it will help reduce dependence on expensive thermal power, thereby saving foreign exchange amounting to $36 million (equivalent to Rs 3 billion) to the country. According to estimation, the Gulpur hydropower project will add about Rs 10 billion per annum to the national economy through socio-economic uplift in the country caused by the project. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing the loan to Mira Power, run by three Korean companies, which will build and operate a 102MW hydropower plant.

Salient features

Basin and Reservoir
◦ Catchment Area 3,625 km²
◦ NHWL EL.540.0m
◦ L.W.L EL.538.0m
◦ 100yr frequency flood 13,340m³/s
◦ PMF 21,640m³/s
◦ Reservoir Capacity(NHWL) 21.893 millionm³

Main Dam
◦ Type CGD
◦ Design Flood 21,640m³/s(PMF)
◦ Height 35.0m
◦ Crest EL.545.0m
◦ Length 238.0m

Spillway
◦ Radial Gate Size W10.0m×7Gates (EL.518.0m)
◦ Under Sluice Gate Size W10.0m×4Gates (EL.515.0m)
◦ Energy Dissipation Submerged Bucket

River Diversion
◦ Type Partial cofferdam(1st) + Sheet File(2nd)
◦ Design Flood 2,517m³/s (25yr frequency)

Intake Weir
◦ Gate Nos. 2 EA
◦ Gate Size 10.0 × 12.0m

Headrace Tunnel
◦ Size D=7.75m
◦ Type Modified horseshoe(Concrete lined)
◦ Length 3,063.5m

Surge Tank
◦ Type Simple Type
◦ Size D=29.0m(Circular)
◦ Height 54.0m
◦ Max Upsurging Level EL.556.523m
◦ Max Downsurging Level EL.525.986m

Vertical Pressure Tunnel
◦ Type Circular (Concrete Lined)
◦ Length 44.6m

Horizontal Pressure Tunnel
◦ Type Circular (Concrete Lined)
◦ Length 71.7m

Steel Penstock
◦ Type Circular (Steel Lined)
◦ Length 11.2m × 1EA 28.9m × 3EA

Powerhouse
◦ Size W74.0m × L31.5m
◦ Turbine Type Francis
◦ Installed Net Capacity 100 MW
◦ Annual Generation 465 GWh
◦ Plant Discharge 194m³/s
◦ Gross head 57.45 m

Tailrace Channel
◦ Type Open Channel
◦ Length 50.0m
◦ Width 45.0m^[5]

Tariff

The project was established on a cost-plus basis with a US cents 9.7994/ kWh levelized tariff for 30 years and the hydrological risk will be borne by the purchaser i.e. Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA).^[6]