PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) commenced construction work on the Hydro Power Training Institute (HPTI) in Mangla on Monday.
Ambassador of France Martine Dorance and Ambassador of the European Union Jean Francois Cautain attended the ground-breaking ceremony.
The facility is being constructed using €2.5 million grant from the EU and €1.5 million loan from the AFD - French Agency for Development. The aim of the training centre is to enhance technical capabilities of engineers and technicians associated with hydroelectric power projects in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, Wapda Member (Water) Nasir Hanif said Pakistan highly valued the financial assistance from France and the EU for the development of water and hydroelectric power resources.
“HPTI is the first broad-based training institute of its kind, which will prove instrumental in building the capacity of engineers and technical staff, resulting in sustainable development of hydroelectric power generation in Pakistan,” he said.
“The institute will cater for training requirements of the four provinces as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan in hydroelectric power production,” he added.
Over the past decade, France, through the AFD, has been promoting the green energy sector in Pakistan and has allocated more than €300 million for investment in hydroelectric power. About 80% of the amount is going towards financing the power projects being implemented by Wapda.
Meanwhile, according to a statement issued by the Embassy of France, the training centre, after completion of work by the end of 2018, will contribute to the capacity-building of public and private hydroelectric power operators like Wapda, provincial operators and independent power producers.
Last week, Dorance visited the construction site of the Jaggran-II hydroelectric power plant in AJK.
France has also provided Pakistan government with a €68 million soft loan for the construction of the 48MW hydropower plant located northeast of Muzaffarabad. The project is being built in the upper extent of Jaggran Nullah, a right bank tributary of the Neelum River.
It is located downstream of the existing 30.4MW Jaggran-I hydropower project, funded also by France and being operated since 2000 by the Power Development Organisation.
Jaggran-II hydroelectric power project will operate as a run-of-the-river scheme and will not entail any major environmental or social constraints.
Upon its commissioning in 2020, it will provide a reliable source of renewable energy and permanent electricity supply for the 1.2 million people living in the Muzaffarabad area, with strong and positive social and economic impact.
(With additional input from APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2017.
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