CDWP gives go-ahead to 18 uplift projects

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved various projects to transmit electricity from the power plants to the national grid for transferring energy to the upcountry, a statement said on Tuesday.

Overall, the CDWP approved 18 projects of worth Rs154 billion, including seven projects costing Rs134 billion, which were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

In addition, it approved two position papers, said the statement issued by the ministry of planning development and reform. Planning minister Ahsan Iqbal chaired the meeting.

In energy sector, the CDWP approved evacuation of power from two 1,100 megawatts of K2 and K3 coastal power plants each near Karachi. The 2,200MW project is worth Rs5.6 billion with a foreign exchange component (FEC) of Rs2.6 billion. It also approved an evacuation of power from two 660MW Thar-coal based power plants with an estimated cost of Rs23 billion with FEC of Rs 12 billion. These projects were referred to Executive Committee of National Economic Council. The CDWP also approved evacuation of power from 350MW Siddiqsons Energy coal-fired power plant near Port Qasim worth Rs2.9 billion with FEC of Rs1.4 billion. The three projects aim to transmit power from the power plants to the national grid.

In addition, the CDWP approved rehabilitation of damaged 66 KV grid station at Ghiljo Orakzai Agency worth Rs145 million and construction of 132 kilovolt (kV) SDT transmission line for making interconnecting arrangement between 132kV grid station Kharan and Mall grid (82-kilometre) worth Rs 650 million. It referred 500kV Chakwal substation worth Rs7 billion with FEC of Rs3.8 billion to ECNEC.

The CDWP also gave clearance and referred revised Koto hydropower project, located in Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to ECNEC. The project is worth Rs14 billion with FEC of Rs7 billion.

In transport and communication sector, CDWP approved revised project of improvement and construction of Jalkhad-Chilas road project worth Rs7.8 billion, feasibility studies of up gradation of existing railway line from Rohri to Koti Taftan via Quetta, including the realignment of Sibi Spez and Section (1022-km) and feasibility study of rail link from Quetta to Kotla Jam (538-km) worth Rs292 million. This project will help to connect Quetta to Peshawar through rail. The CDWP also approved up-gradation of very high frequency communication system for operational staff. The project is estimated at Rs737 million.

It also approved up-gradation of road from RCC Konodas Bridge to Naltar Airbase Camp via Nomal (47-km) at an estimated cost of Rs2.7billion.

The CDWP also approved Saaf Suthro Sindh Programme, scaling up of rural sanitation worth Rs1.5 billion in principle.

The CDWP approved the Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement worth Rs80 billion with FEC of Rs48 billion.