Power production: Machai hydel station starts operation

Secretary says Ranolia, Daral Khwar projects will also come online soon

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government inaugurated on Friday the 2.6-megawatt Machai Hydropower Station in Mardan district.

The plant has now formally started production of electricity and will contribute 14 gigawatts of electricity to the national grid.

Energy and Power Department Secretary Engineer Naeem Khan inaugurated the hydroelectric power station at Alai village in Mardan district, accompanied by experts from the energy sector and officials of the German and Pakistani companies involved in the project.

Speaking at a ceremony, Khan said the Machai project was started with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank at the Machai canal system as a pilot scheme to boost investment.

"Soon, the 17MW Ranolia hydropower project and 36.6MW Daral Khwar hydropower project will also be inaugurated," he said, hoping the projects would prove to be a game changer for the province's economy.

Congratulating the Machai power station's contractor, consultant, project director and other staff, the energy secretary said the project would help start a new era of development in the area and create massive employment opportunities for the local population.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2017.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.