PESHAWAR - As part of its commitment to help alleviate the energy problem in Pakistan, the United States will replace 335 old water pumps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with modern pumps that will boost energy efficiency by up to 65 per cent, improve the city water supply, and reduce power consumption by nearly three megawatts.
The old pumps waste large amounts of power as they operate at only 28-40 per cent efficiency. That inefficiency leads to inflated electricity bills and a financial burden for government power companies and their customers.
On Tuesday, US Consul General Robert Reed, along with Bashir Ahmed Bilor, Senior Minister of the Local Government & Rural Development Department, launched this USAID initiative at the first pump replacement site.
“Following into the footsteps of similar successful programmes in Islamabad and Karachi, this activity is a continuation of USAID’s close collaboration with the KP Government to bring better services to the citizens,” said the Consul General Reed.
Being part of USAID’s Power Distribution Programme, this initiative will decrease the Local Governments & Rural Development Department’s financial burden by an estimated $740,000 annually, provide a continuous supply of clean water to surrounding communities, and help reduce the Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s circular debt burden.
In total, USAID assists nine power distribution companies across Pakistan, helping them improve their performance by reducing power losses, increasing revenues, and improving customer services.
This project to replace water pumps is just one part of a comprehensive US energy assistance programme, which includes renovating the power plant at the Tarbela Dam, upgrading the Guddu, Jamshoro, and Muzafaragarh power plants, and completion of construction of the new Satpara and Gomal Zam dams.