Tunnel Boring Machine - Neelum Jehlum Project

The idea of using Tunnel Boring Machine in Neelum Jehlum Project reminds me of the use of the similar technology in Lahore Mass Transit undergroung phase.

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Saturday, March 27, 2010By Mansoor AhmadLAHORE: To complete the Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project before Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project being built by India, the Water and Power Development Authority has decided use tunnel boring machine that will reduce the construction time by two years, official sources said.“It is vital for Pakistan to complete the 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project before India completes a similar project on the same rivers, so that Pakistan can claim its right to water use,” sources in WAPDA informed The News.

They said though India has usurped the right of Pakistan on Neelum water by planning to divert it for the run of river 348 MW Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project, its completion before the Neelum-Jhelum project would give India the right to use the water for electricity generation.WAPDA officials said that the Kishanganaga project would reduce the hydroelectric potential of the Neelum Jhelum Hydro Project. Originally Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project located in the Indian Held Kashmir and Neelum-Jehlum Hydroelectric Project being built in Azad Jammu and Kashmir were to be completed in 2016, the issue of right to use water has pitched both the countries in a race for the river.Excavation of tunnelling network through tunnel boring machine (TBM) will reduce implementation period of the Neelum-Jehlum Hydroelectric Project (NJHEP) by about two years, which would establish Pakistan’s right over Neelum water and India would not be able to divert it for use in Kishanganga project.WAPDA sources said the completion of NJHEP earlier than the schedule is very vital for Pakistan not only to cope with the increasing demand of electricity in the country but also to establish priority rights of water uses over the river Neelum against India.The use of TBM has remained limited in the past due fear of impact of drilling on weak geological formations. However, in the past decade tremendous improvements in tunnelling technology have been achieved, removing the fears associated with use of TBMs.

In the recent past the use of TBM has taken over the charge from the conventional method of tunnelling by drill and blast (D&B) method, NJHEP requires over 55 kilometre of tunnelling network.In the engineering design made by the Norwegian Consultants in 1996, the excavation of tunnels was proposed through conventional drill and blast method, to be spread over a period of 90 months.However, the use of TBM will significantly reduce this period by 24-28 months. Moreover, the use of TBM technology will also pave the way for execution of the upcoming hydropower projects in a lesser span of time, including the 1100-MW Kohala and 7100-MWBunji hydropower projects.Sources said acquiring the TBM technology and equipment is in final stage as a technical delegation led by WAPDA Member (Water) Syed Raghib Abbas Shah, has already visited the manufacturing facilities and project in Germany and Switzerland.

The team, comprising WAPDA experts, the project consultants and a panel of independent experts unanimously concluded that the use of TBM would be beneficial for hydropower projects in Pakistan with special reference to NJHEP.On commissioning, NJHEP will generate 5.15 billion units of electricity annually, while benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs30 billion per annum.