‘Share of coal in CPEC energy mix to be cut’

ISLAMABAD: Energy experts in an Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) seminar on Wednesday urged reviewing the energy portfolio of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) because of the huge proportion of coal-fired projects.

The roundtable also called upon the government to persuade China to include financing of Diamer-Bhasha and Pak-Iran gas pipeline projects under the CPEC.

Syed Akhtar Ali, Member Energy, Planning Commission of Pakistan was the main speaker of the roundtable. In his presentation, he apprised the participants that the 76 percent share of coal-fired power projects in the mix of CPEC’s energy component – comprising 22 projects worth US$33,793 million - was being reduced. 

He called for removing misconceptions about coal-fired power plants being deployed under the CPEC, and rejected the notion that obsolete technology was being used in them.

He also claimed that all three short-term energy targets of the present government would be met, which were adding up of 10,000MW electricity in the national grid, increasing one to two billion cubic feet of natural gas per day of /LNG (25-50 per cent increase) and zero load-shedding by 2018.

The session chair, Mirza Hamid Hasan, member IPS-National Academic Council and former secretary, water and power, in his concluding remarks, said that although coal and LNG projects were providing a quick fix solution to the energy crisis, hydropower should always remain the top preference for Pakistan due to the associated benefits to the national economy, especially water storage and agricultural growth.  He was of the view that there was still time for the government to convince China to finance Diamer-Bhasha and Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline projects as they were vital to deal with the energy crisis. Hasan also pointed out that the data available on the Planning Commission’s website about CPEC needs to be updated.

A number of energy experts, government officials, industry representatives, academics and journalists participated in the roundtable.