CPEC Hydropower Project to eliminate energy crises: Pakistani Power Minister

Islamabad: Minister for Power Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan has said that the 720 MW Karot Hydropower Project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would start full generation by next month and eliminate Pakistan’s energy shortage issue to a great extent.

Speaking at a news conference here, he maintained that the plant had already started supplying 360 MW to the national grid free of cost.

The minister claimed that there was sufficient installed power generation capacity in the country. “However, financial crisis inherited by the coalition government due to past ruler Imran Khan was also another cause of power shortage,” he added.

The minister informed that total circular debt was Pakistani Rs 1060 billion on May 31, 2018 which has soared to Rs 2460 billion in last 4 years.

He mentioned that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would soon announce a comprehensive plan for energy sector and its focus would be on solar and indigenous local Thar coal.

“The government is taking bold steps to reduced dependency on expensive imported fuels which prices have been increased manifold at the international market. The current coal power plants would also be converted on local Thar coal to save precious foreign reserves,” he stated.

Khan remarked that all Power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) were directed to nominate an official for every 300 consumers so they could be kept informed timely about power related issues.

To a question, the minister said that the load-management could be ended within 48 hours but subject to provision of required resources to the power sector.

He stressed that the incumbent government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was making all out efforts to mitigate peoples’ problems adding that there was no proposal under consideration to enhance power tariff next month.

To another question, he replied that Re-Gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) based Trimun power plant would achieve Commercial Operations Date (CoD) in few months.