MWH to Provide Construction Management Services for Hydropower Project in Pakistan
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CHICAGO, May 30: MWH, a global provider of environmental engineering, construction and strategic consulting services, has been selected by the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to provide construction management and contract administration services on the Jinnah Hydropower Project (JHPP) through a joint venture with local engineering companies. The project, which broke ground in December 2006, and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010, is part of a 25-year master plan to meet increasing energy demand being driven by rapid economic growth in Pakistan.
In its role on the project, MWH will complete a detailed review of the JHPP engineering design and oversee procurement, construction, programming and quality assurance procedures. This includes quality control testing of construction materials and the final structures and components. In addition, MWH will monitor design and construction procedures to ensure they are completed correctly and comply with project specifications and local laws.
"MWH has a long history of working in Pakistan and with WAPDA," said Alan Krause, president of the Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Industry unit of MWH. "Working in strategic roles by contributing our technical expertise to hydropower projects, such as the Jinnah project, is among the things that MWH does best. We're pleased to have been selected and look forward to working with WAPDA to meet the engineering needs of this project."
Located in the Punjab province, 234 kilometers southeast of Islamabad, the main components of the JHPP include a headrace channel; a powerhouse that houses eight low head pit turbines each producing 12 megawatts of power for a total of 96 megawatts; a tailrace channel; a 132 kilovolt double circuit transmission line; and a 132 kilovolt switchyard. The annual 688 million kilowatt-hours of energy the hydropower facility is expected to produce will be transported along a five kilometer transmission line to provide power to the national electric grid system.
The project is being implemented under an EPC (engineer, procure, construct) contract awarded by WAPDA to Dongfang Electric Corporation, a Chinese contractor, for a total project cost of US $128 million.
MWH's Work History in Pakistan
MWH has been a general consultant to Pakistan since 1959 and has carried out a variety of assignments in the development of water, land and energy resources during the past 25 years. In 1978, MWH was awarded a special medal by WAPDA, the first ever awarded to a consulting firm, in recognition of services to the country.
As general consultants, MWH assisted WAPDA with the engineering review and construction oversight of the Indus Water Treaty works, one of the largest water transfer projects ever undertaken. The project was the result of a settlement between India and Pakistan that required Pakistan's three western rivers to be brought under control and their flows partially diverted to supply extensive irrigation systems previously fed by rivers that flow out of India. Accomplishing this replacement of flows required the construction of two major dams, five new barrages, a gated siphon, and eight new inner-river link canals. The total project cost was approximately US $2.25 billion.
In 2005, MWH served as consultants on the Ghazi Barotha hydroelectric project in the Northwest Frontier province of Pakistan. The US $2.25 billion project has a maximum capacity of 1450 megawatts and was successfully commissioned last year.
MWH has an office in Lahore, Pakistan and maintains project offices in various parts of the country.
MWH's Dam and Hydropower Services
MWH has been providing engineering services to the dam and hydropower sector since 1920 and is currently working on numerous dam and hydropower projects throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. MWH has played a key role in some of the largest dam and hydropower projects in the world, including the Three Gorges Dam in China, Ghazi Barotha Hydroelectric Scheme in Pakistan, Mohale Dam in Lesotho, Tekeze Dam in Ethiopia, Caruachi Hydroelectric Project in Venezuela and Karahnjukar Hydroelectric Project in Iceland.
About MWH
Headquartered in Broomfield, Colo., MWH is a private, employee-owned firm with more than 6,000 team members worldwide. The company provides water, wastewater, energy, natural resource, program management, consulting and construction services to industrial, municipal and government clients in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, India, Asia and the Pacific Rim. For more information about MWH, please visit the company's Web site at www.mwhglobal.com/.
Source: MWH
CONTACT: Paul Lonnegren, +1-303-410-4017, paul.lonnegren@mwhglobal.com, or Resa Furey +1-303-533-1931, resa.furey@mwhglobal.com, both of MWH
Web site: http://www.mwhglobal.com/
