Pakistan, China to work on 900MW solar project

LAHORE: A delegation of the Chinese Company Zonergy renowned in the energy sector led by its President Yu Yong met Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif.
According to a handout issued on Saturday, it was agreed during the meeting to work on the 900 megawatt solar project at the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur speedily. Talking to the delegation, Shahbaz Sharif said the work had been started on the first solar project at the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur under the Pak-China Economic Corridor.
He said that 300 megawatt solar project would start generating electricity by the end of the current year while 50 megawatt solar project would provide electricity on August 14 during the current year and the remaining 600 megawatt solar project will be completed during next year. Similarly, a total of 900 megawatt solar project will be completed in 2016 under the CPEC, he added.
The chief minister vowed that the solar project of the CPEC would be completed with the high quality and speed and all-out facilities would be provided to the Chinese Company. He said the work of upgrade of transmission line was continuing for adding the electricity generated through the solar project to the national grid and all the departments concerned were working with mutual coordination.
He said the CPEC projects were of great importance to remove the darkness and bring light to the country. He said the great beginning had been made under the CPEC for removing the darkness from the country and the work on the first solar project had been started.
Shahbaz Sharif said the investment of 140 billion rupees on the 900 megawatt solar project under the CPEC was purely Chinese investment and a new era of development and prosperity would be ushered in the country due to an implementation on the CPEC.
He said the project would be completed with hardwork, honesty and trust. He said the government was taking steps expeditiously for coping with the shortage of energy. He said the energy projects were being forwarded without wasting any moment and loadshedding in Pakistan would be eliminated to a large extent by 2017-18.
He said the electricity crisis was a burden of one decade and now China had shared this burden. President Chinese Company Zonergy Yu Yong has expressed deep interest in the establishment of Solar Institute in Bahawalpur and assured the Chief Minister that all possible cooperation would be extended for setting up a solar institute.
Speaking on the occasion, Yu Yong said the Chinese leadership highly respected Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and ‘he does what he says’. He said that all-out efforts would be made to complete the project within the timeline stipulated by Chief Minister Punjab and all possible steps would be taken in this regard. Additional Chief Secretary Energy, Secretary Energy, Managing Director NTDC, Chief Executive Officer Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park and officials concerned were also present.