CPEC: 300 MW Coal Fired Power Project approved

Islamabad: Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has approved a 300 Megawatt (MW) Coal Fired Power Project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The project aimed at improving the reliability of the local power supply which would help gradually solve the problems in current economic development and urban construction in the Gwadar region, which is being restricted by the shortage of power.

The minister also directed Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Power Division, Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) and China Overseas Ports Holding Company Ltd (COPHCL) to ensure 100 percent power consumption for this project to avoid any financial loss to the national exchequer.

The minister made these directions while chairing a meeting to review the project which has been approved.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman COPHCL, Chairman Gwadar Port Authority GPA, and other relevant stakeholders. The project was conceived under the CEPC in 2016.

Earlier, the Minister had directed the COPHECL to provide the exact demand of the electricity for Gwadar Free Zone and share a 10-year plan for electricity consumption by Gwadar Free Zone Company to establish the exact electricity utilization of the 300 MW Coal Fired Power Project at Gwadar.

During the meeting, the Minister asked the Power Division to address impediments and meet the completion deadline of January 2025.

It is noted that all major projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC in Gwadar, including Gwadar Power Plant, the New Gwadar International Airport Project, the China-Pak Friendship Hospital, China-Pak Technical and Vocational Institute in Gwadar, the Gwadar East-bay Expressway Project, Gwadar Free Zone, and Gwadar Port would become a shining pearl in the region.

Ahsan Iqbal mentioned that the government was already working on a project for two transmission lines from Iran that will increase the electricity demand.

“The incumbent government has revived all the CPEC Projects since it came into power in April this year. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif already assured his Chinese counterparts that CPEC is the top priority of the government and the recent Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) was one of the examples in which both sides had agreed to revive several development projects,” he added.