Groundbreaking of CPEC’s Suki Kinari transmission line project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held

Kaghan: The groundbreaking ceremony of Suki Kinari transmission line project near Kaghan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was held here.

Minister for Power Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of CPEC’s Suki Kinari transmission line project.

The transmission line will connect the 884 MW Suki Kinari Hydel power plant to National Grid, through which power will be further transmitted to load centres of Pakistan.

Minister for Power Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan said that the Suki Kinari Hydropower Project was started in 2017 under the CPEC with an estimated cost of US $ 2100 million, adding the project will generate around 3.129 billion Kilowatt-hour (kWh)/units annually. Moreover, 6000 plus jobs will be created during the construction of this project, he added.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) had also awarded levelized tariff to M/s SK Hydro at the rate of Pakistani Rs 8.8145/kWh in 2014. The power plant will start electricity generation in Nov, 2024, the minister mentioned.

He stressed that the present government was concentrating on environment friendly and affordable green energy through hydro, solar and wind sources.

Addressing the audience, the minister said that the 75-kilometer-long 500 kv double circuit transmission line was being constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 18,704 million for evacuation of power from 884 MW Suki Kinari hydropower project.

Managing Director National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) Engineer Dr Rana Abdul Jabbar Khan while speaking on the occasion, said that phase-1 of 500 kV Suki Kinari transmission line was being constructed through loan from local banks.

He informed that the transmission line would strengthen NTDC transmission network. “It will also help to flourish industrialization along with creation of employment for the public which will further bring improvement in socio-economic condition of country. Cheap and clean energy produced from Suki Kinari HPP will be supplied to domestic, agricultural and industrial consumers. The construction of transmission line will be completed prior to the CoD (Commercial Operation Date) of hydro power project,” he added.

Later, Khurram Dastgir Khan along with senior Pakistani and Chinese officials and Chinese company visited the Suki Kinari Hydropower project site.

Local political leadership, large number of locals and NTDC employees were also present during the groundbreaking ceremony.