Rehabilitation work: France provides €26.5m for hydropower project

Country to spend about 240m euros for promoting hydropower.


Express September 08, 2011

ISLAMABAD: The French government through French Development Agency (AFD) is providing finances of 26.5 million euros to rehabilitate Jabban Hydropower plant in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and train Water and Power Development Authority’s engineers and technicians.

French Ambassador Daniel Jouanneau visited the project site on Wednesday where civil work is in process at the country’s oldest large hydropower plant built in 1937, according to a press statement issued by the French embassy.

Jabban Power Project, located on Swat canal in Malakand Division, discontinued its production after a fire broke out in November 2006.

The rehabilitation work will increase the capacity of the plant up to 22MW from 19MW. After rehabilitation, the plant will employ 50 people and provide electricity to more than 240,000 people.

As a member of the group of Friends of Democratic Pakistan, France is very sensitive to the welfare of the Pakistani population and is committed to implementing sustainable development projects on the energy and water sectors, the statement said.

The exceptional potential of Pakistan in terms of hydropower encourages both parties to jointly engage in other projects in the future. AFD, WAPDA and HEB have already identified other hydropower plants projects in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In the near future, AFD’s expected funding in promoting hydropower in Pakistan will reach about 240 million euros for an additional installed capacity of 221 MW.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th,  2011.

COMMENTS (1)

mockery | 12 years ago | Reply

France?? west?? the who are trying to destroy, defame pakistan??, this should be another west propaganda to defame pakistan

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