Ayesha Saba

World Bank-funded Dasu Transmission Line Project is advancing to enhance Pakistan’s high-voltage grid, with significant progress made and completion due by June 2026.

According to documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the project includes two components – Lot-I (765kV Dasu–Mansehra, 157km) and Lot-II (765kV Mansehra–Islamabad West, 97.6km). As of September 29, 2025, the 765kV Transmission Line from Dasu to Mansehra has achieved 38% physical progress and 21% financial progress, showing gradual advancement toward the completion target. With a total PC-1 cost of PKR132,249.76 million, the project is critical to the power evacuation from Dasu Hydropower Project to the national grid.

A detailed component analysis shows that design and engineering work is fully complete, while procurement stands at 40 percent. Twenty-seven percent progress has been achieved in the civil works and 15 percent in erection, while activities related to testing and commissioning are yet to begin.

Meanwhile, Dasu Transmission Line Project, covering Mansehra–Islamabad West (97.6km) section, has achieved 42% physical and 34% financial progress. As of the latest status, the design and engineering tasks are complete (100%); procurement has reached 50%, civil works 28%, and erection 2%, indicating visible advancement on multiple fronts.

With an estimated cost of PKR132,249.76 million (USD 123.46 million plus PKR11,070 million), the project is part of Pakistan’s broader transmission expansion initiative to improve grid reliability and enhance power evacuation capacity from large-scale hydropower plants in the north.

Officials from the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) highlighted that the Dasu transmission initiative is vital for integrating clean and affordable hydropower into the national grid, reducing reliance on imported fuels, and ensuring a stable power supply to northern and central Pakistan.

Upon completion, Dasu-Mansehra-Islamabad transmission corridor will form a backbone for long-distance, high-capacity power transfer, ensuring efficient utilization of upcoming hydropower generation and strengthening Pakistan’s overall energy security framework.

Credit: INP-WealthPk