The Project was identified by Montreal Engineering Company, Canada (Monenco) under “Inventory and Ranking Study of Major Hydroelectric Projects” for WAPDA during 1981 to 1984 with a generation capacity of 86MW.

During 1992 to 1994, the Project was studied by GTZ-WAPDA and capacity was revised to 222 MW at a plant factor of 89% based on design discharge available 50% time of the year. In 2006 PPIB offered the project, with a capacity of 222 MW, for development in the Private sector. PPIB solicited bids from suitably qualified bidders in response to which the Company offered its proposal. After evaluation and qualification, the Company’s proposal was accepted leading to issuance of Letter of Interest (“LOI”) in May 2007. The LOI required the Company to carry out a high-level, bankable feasibility study within the allowed time period.

The Sponsors commissioned URS Scott Wilson, leading International engineering consultants, to carry out the bankable feasibility study which covered preliminary feasibility stage design including bills of quantity and cost estimation used as the basis for the feasibility stage project cost and tariff proposal. The feasibility study proposed an optimized project capacity of 640 MW which was duly approved by Panel of Experts at PPIB on December 20, 2011, thus fulfilling conditions of LOI. This entitled the Company to get tariff approval from NEPRA, the regulator, and move forward to financial closing/construction of the Project, after issuance of Letter of Support.

The Feasibility stage tariff was approved by NEPRA dated 16th October 2014, and PPIB issued LOS in favor of the Company on June 30, 2016, in a ceremony witnessed by Minister, Water & Power, requiring the Company to achieve financial close and commence the Project construction

Based on a number of design optimizations, negotiated with the EPC Contractor, the Company approached PPIB for the approval of the optimized design on June 22, 2017. PPIB constituted a Panel of Experts (POE) which, after detailed technical due diligence, approved the design of the Project during the meeting held on December 06, 2017 with a design discharge of 1260 m3/s, estimated annual energy of 3265 GWh and installed capacity of 700.7MW.

The Project development process is at an advanced stage and it is expected that financial close will be achieved on or before 31 December 2024 and commercial operations will commence by 2030.