A consortium led by Italy's Impregilo has won two contracts worth a total $511 million for work on the 1,450-MW Ghazi Barotha hydroelectric power project. Impregilo's partners are France's Campenon Bernard, Ed Zueblin of Germany, and Saadullah Khan & Brothers and Nazir & Company, both local.

The first contract, C1, is for construction of a barrage 7 kilometres downstream of the Tarbela dam. Contract C2 is to divert water at Ghazi to a 52-kilometre power channel. The client is the Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Work is due to start immediately and completion is expected in under four years.

A third contract, C3, for the power complex civil works, will involve building a 1,450-MW power house with five units and associated infrastructure facilities. Bids for C3 will be opened on 20 January, with an award expected in mid-1997. There are 11 prequalifying companies - one from each of Brazil, China, Germany, Italy and Sweden, two from France and four from South Korea. The total cost of the project has been put at $2,200 million (MEED 1:12:95).