On October 2, 2018, Pakistan’s Neelum Jhelum 4×243 MW Hydropower Project was awarded the Taking-Over Certificate (TOC) of the second unit signed by the owner (actual handover date is August 27, 2018). During the National Day holiday, all the staff of CMEC’s Neelum Jhelum (NJ) Project Department worked hard to complete the handover of the second unit, creating the “NJ speed” of handing over the two units within one month as a tribute to the 69th birthday of the motherland.

　　

The handover of the second unit is another major event of the NJ hydropower project and a major node of the project. Since the project started, it has received great care and attention from the Chinese government and Pakistan government and leaders at all levels of CMEC. In May 2013, Premier Li Keqiang witnessed the signing of the loan agreement of NJ project between China and Pakistan. Leaders from Pakistan Hydroelectric Development Administration, Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, and CMEC have visited the NJ site many times to guide the work and boost morale. With the attention and strong support of all parties, all staff members of the NJ project department have implemented CMEC’s guiding spirit of building high-quality projects in an all-round way, supported and trusted the team of owners and engineers, and organized the participating units to unite and cooperate with each other. The first-line construction units have overcome difficulties to complete a wide range of construction tasks in a high-quality and high-standard manner. After ten years of achievements, they were praised unanimously by the owners and the engineers.

　　

Project description: Pakistan Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Plant Project (NJ Project for short) is one of Pakistan’s most technically difficult hydropower plants with the largest installed capacity under construction and one of Pakistan’s most important infrastructure projects. Therefore, it is known as Pakistan’s “Three Gorges Project.” The total installed capacity of the four units in the power station is 963,000 kilowatts, the working head is 420 meters, and the total contract amount is US$1.56 billion. The NJ project will generate about 5.15 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year upon its completion, accounting for about 12% of Pakistan’s hydropower generation. When it is put into operation and connected into Pakistan’s State Grid, it will solve the electricity consumption problem of 15% of Pakistan’s population. The project is conducive to improving Pakistan’s energy mix, meeting Pakistan’s demand for clean energy, bringing more low-cost electricity to Pakistan, and greatly alleviating its serious shortage of domestic electricity supply. It has been hailed as a “timely help” to ease Pakistan’s energy crisis along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.