Financial close has been reached for Pakistan’s Karot hydropower project, which includes a 95m-tall dam, four tunnels and a bridge.

Mott MacDonald is the lenders’ technical, environmental and social advisor on the scheme, which is located on the Jhelum River in both the Punjab region of Pakistan and the country’s self-governing Azad Kashmir division.

Karot is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative and is the first hydropower project being developed in Pakistan by China Three Gorges. The 720MW scheme forms part of a five-project cascade that will help manage the water resource of the Jhelum River and provide much-needed generation capacity to the country. The project includes the construction of a 95m-high dam, four headrace tunnels and a new public bridge across the river, as well as a substantial spillway structure to manage flood flows. Construction is due to be completed in 2021.

In the run-up to financial close, Mott MacDonald provided technical support and strategic analysis to the project’s financiers. The consultancy also assisted with the implementation of environmental and social management plans and advised on compliance with relevant standards and regulatory requirements. Following financial close, the company will now perform construction monitoring services covering technical, environmental and social matters.