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Tuesday March 19, 2024

CM orders initiation of work on 489 megawatts energy projects

By Bureau report
October 16, 2019

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the initiation of work on 489megawatts new energy projects.

Chairing a meeting of the energy and power department, he directed the department concerned to work out all the modalities on an emergency basis and specify timelines for completion of the projects, said an official handout.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Establishment Arbab Shehzad, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jehangir Khan Tareen, Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Advisor to CM on energy Himayatullah Khan, Advisor to CM on merged districts Ajmal Wazir and other officials. The chief minister said the provincial government had completed seven different projects related to the energy sector with the total production capacity of 161.2 MW, which would generate Rs4404 million revenue per year.

The participants of the meeting were informed that by the end of the year 2022, five additional energy-related projects would be completed. These will have a capacity of 216 MW and generate Rs1137 million in revenue annually.

Mahmood Khan stated that out of the 332 mini-hydel power projects, 280 were completed which would benefit 90,000 local households. He said 672 additional mini-hydel power projects were also being launched which would generate 55MW electricity that would directly benefit 200,000 households.

Those in the meeting were briefed on the one-year performance of the energy and power department, projects under construction, those already completed and federal government-related issues in the implementation of new projects. Deliberations were held on exemption of Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO) from income tax, finalisation of wheeling regime to industrial consumers, the inclusion of provincial energy-related projects in the national generation plan.

Inclusion of energy projects in the framework of Chine-Pakistan Economic Corridor, representation of provincial members in Peshawar Electric Supply Company, Alternative Energy Development Board, Central Power Purchasing Agency-G and National Transmission and Dispatch Company and provision of gas to the Kohat Division. The meeting agreed that these issues should be resolved on a priority basis. It was decided to convene a meeting including representation from the federal government to sort out bottlenecks in the speedy implementation of these programs. It was informed that the provincial government intended to establish 17 hydel power projects with generating a capacity of 3000MW in Chitral, Swat and Dir districts.

The provincial government, with the cooperation of donor organizations, planned four new projects, including Balakot hydro power project, Barikot, Patrak Sheringal and Gabral Kalam hydro projects to be completed by 2025 with an estimated cost of $ 1233 million. The meeting was informed that work on these projects would be initiated during the current year and was expected to generate Rs17860 million per year, once completed. The participants were briefed on the five energy-related projects have already been included in CPEC which have 961 MW electricity generating capacity. The work on including six additional projects in CPEC with 1243 MW electricity generating capacity is under progress. With regards to the newly merged tribal district, the meeting was informed that the work on 10.5 MW project in Chapari Charkhel area of newly merged Kurram district would be initiated in 2020. It will be completed in four years with an estimated cost of Rs4.5 billion.