LSG Hydro Power Limited (LSG) is seeking approval from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) for its ambitious Lower Spat Gah Hydro Power Project, a 470-megawatt undertaking in Kohistan.
The anticipated cost of the project is estimated at $1.031 billion. LSG applied for approval by Section 14B (5) of the Regulation of Generation, Transmission, and Distribution of Electric Power Act 1997 (Nepra Act).
Established as a public limited company on March 26, 2021, LSG aims to construct a high-head run-of-the-river hydroelectric power plant with a generation capacity of 470MW at the Spat Gah River in Kohistan district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Nepra has called upon all stakeholders, interested/affected individuals, and the general public to share their comments in favor of or against the grant of concurrence.
As per LSG’s submission, the Lower Spat Gah is part of a larger hydroelectric power cascade in the Spat Gah and Gabarband valleys, encompassing three stages Upper Spat Gah, Middle Gabarband, and Lower Spat Gah plants.
The Lower Spat Gah is anticipated to operate independently for an initial period, drawing water from the headworks to the powerhouse for power generation, with excess water spilling back into the river through a secondary intake on the Gabarband River.
The Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (Pedo) issued a Letter of Intent for the project on June 29, 2021. LSG has diligently undertaken the necessary environmental and social impact assessments, submitting its report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 4, 2022. Following a public hearing, the EPA provided written comments, and LSG responded on September 19, 2022.
In alignment with regulatory procedures, the EPA advised the project sponsors to secure a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the K-P Forest Department, which was subsequently granted.
The feasibility study underwent thorough scrutiny by the panel of experts from Pedo and the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB), leading to approval on November 23, 2022, after meticulous due diligence and site visits.