Suki Kinari Dam | An Artificial River With 400m Underground Powerhouse | Sun LO

Suki Kinari Dam | An Artificial River With 400m Underground Powerhouse | Sun LO

We are taking you inside one of the most complex engineering feats in Pakistan's history: the 884 MW Suki Kinari Hydropower Project. 🇵🇰⚡

Located in the stunning Kaghan Valley, this CPEC "Early Harvest" project is now fully operational (Sept 2024), but the real magic is hidden from sight.

🏗️ The Engineering Marvel: 400m Underground Powerhouse Unlike traditional dams, Suki Kinari's powerhouse is buried 400 meters (1,300 ft) deep inside the mountain. Why go to such extremes?

Maximum Power: Dropping water through a vertical shaft creates immense "Hydraulic Head" (pressure), driving 4 massive Pelton Turbines to generate 884 MW.

Protection: The deep cavern protects expensive machinery from landslides, snowstorms, and seismic activity common in the Himalayas.

Eco-Friendly: By hiding the infrastructure, the natural beauty of the Kaghan Valley remains largely untouched.

🔍 Key Project Details:

River: Kunhar River (Mansehra District)

Cost: ~$1.96 Billion USD

Tunnel: A massive 23.2 km tunnel diverts water to the turbines.

Impact: Adds 3 Billion units of clean electricity to the national grid annually, replacing expensive imported fuel.

This project is a game-changer for Pakistan's energy security and a masterpiece of modern civil engineering.


"Most dams show off their power on the surface—but Suki Kinari is different. Its heart beats 400 meters underground. Why did engineers bury a massive power plant inside a mountain? It wasn't just for safety; it was to create a monster amount of pressure. By dropping water from a height of over 900 meters through the world’s deepest pressure shafts, this project generates 884 Megawatts of pure, green energy. Today, we are going deep inside the Kaghan Valley to see how this CPEC giant is changing Pakistan’s future."📊

Feature,Official Figure
Project Name,Suki Kinari Hydropower Project (SKHPP)
Location,"Kunhar River, Kaghan Valley (Mansehra, KP)"
Capacity,884 MW (4 x 221 MW Pelton Turbines)
Project Status,Operational (COD: Sept 2024)
Total Cost,"~$1.96 Billion (CPEC ""Early Harvest"" Project)"
Dam Height,54.5 Meters (Asphalt Concrete Core Rockfill Dam)
Tunnel System,23.2 km Headrace Tunnel
Gross Head,~922 Meters (Massive water pressure)
Unique Feature,Deepest Pressure Shaft System in the region
Annual Generation,~3.1 Billion Units (kWh) of cheap electricity

#SukiKinari #SukiKinariDAM #Hydropower #CPEC #EngineeringMarvel #PakistanEconomy #MegaProjects #KaghanValley #RenewableEnergy #DamConstruction #SunLo