Work on 300MW coal fired power plant is under process and it will be completed by December 2023

ISLAMABAD   -   Cabinet Committee on CPEC (CCoCPEC) Thursday gave go-ahead to the Power Division to discuss the import of additional 70MW to 100MW electricity from Iran to meet the power demand of Gwadar. 

Cabinet Committee on CPEC also allowed NTDC to change its executing agency for the construction of transmission line for connection of Gwadar to national grid to expedite the work and ensure that the project is completed by March 2023.A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on CPEC (CCoCPEC) was held under the Chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar here.

The CCoCPEC reviewed the progress on various projects under CPEC and the overall progress of CPEC in Industrial Cooperation, Energy, Infrastructure, and Gwadar Port Marketing Plan. The implementation plan for vacation of Pakistan Coast Guard and Pakistan Navy land at Gwadar was also on the agenda of the CCoCPEC meeting but it was deferred. Various options for fulfilling the energy requirements of Gwadar were discussed in the meeting. Power Division submitted a summary containing proposals for the acceleration of the power supply to Gwadar. 

The meeting was informed that 100MW electricity is imported from Iran which is being supplied to Makran division including Gwadar, Kech and Panjgur. Pakistan is importing electricity from Iran, and Quetta Electricity Supply Company is supplying it to Makran division through 132 kV transmission line. However due to disruption of supply in July from the neighbouring Iran last month,  all the three districts of Makran division including Gwadar, Kech and Panjgur were facing severe power outages. The total demand of Makran division is around 150MW and even the supply of Iranian electricity can cater for only 70 per cent of the total demand of the area.

Beside, work is in progress on the connection of Gwadar to the national grid and for the purpose 100s of kilometers long transmission line is being laid.  Similarly, it was also informed that work on 300MW coal fired power plant is also under process and it will be completed by December 2023.

During the meeting, the power division requested for change of the executing agency for the transmission line. The CCoCPEC approved the summary and allowed NTDC to change its executing agency to expedite the work and ensure that the project is completed by March 2023. The meeting was informed that two companies are interested in the project.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Shaukat Fayyaz Ahmed  Tarin, Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar, Abdul Razak Dawood Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce and  Investment, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Power and Petroleum Tabish Gauhar, SAPM on CPEC Khalid Mansoor, Chairman NHA, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Chief Secretary Balochistan, Secretary Planning, Secretary Power, Secretary Maritime Affairs and official of various ministers and  divisions.