Pakistan

Hydropower generation: K-P to spend Rs108b on 11 hydel projects

Projects will add 684.6 MW electricity, helping overcome the power crisis.

Islamuddin Sajid May 09, 2011

PESHAWAR:

Taking advantage of the 18th constitutional amendment, which empowered provinces to undertake power and gas projects, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has approved 11 power generation projects worth Rs108.3 billion across the province.

“We have received Rs35 billion on account of hydroelectric generation from the federal government and the remaining Rs75 billion will be paid over the next three years,” K-P Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour told The Express Tribune, adding that the province has a potential to produce more than 35,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

The new projects will add 684.6MW of electricity, helping overcome the power crisis in the province. Details of potential projects were outlined in a report submitted to the provincial assembly by the department of power and energy on Monday.

According to the report, the Shushai Zindoli hydro project in Chitral would cost Rs21 billion and would produce 144MW. Two other 201MW powerhousess, Shogo-Sin and Lawi projects, are also proposed to be set up in Chitral. These powerhousess will also be completed at a cost of Rs30 billion.

The 18MW Ranolia hydropower project in Kohistan district will be inaugurated next month. It is expected to cost Rs4 billion. The 2.6MW hydel project in Mardan is proposed for the Machai area, costing Rs1 billion.

Another 36MW powerhouses is planned in Swat’s Daral Khor area and a 31MW project would be set up on the Punchkora river near Koto in Dir Lower.

The provincial government has asked the power and energy department to prepare a feasibility report of all projects with a potential production capacity between 25 and 350 megawatts.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (11)

Riaz Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Welldone. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must speed up the work on all these projects. I hope the Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan will try his best to over-come this energy crisis. Good Luck.

Abu Hashim | 13 years ago | Reply I congratulate KP Government on taking the initiative. Someone in Pakistan is doing something concrete about the energy crisis. Shame on you federal government. Shame on you.

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hameed | 13 years ago | Reply very good initiative, the government of pukhtunkhwa is do the best as the people of province are expecting from them. we are wishing that the pukhtun should elect the for an other tenure

Suliman Ahmad | 13 years ago | Reply Very good initiative, but this govt. has left only two yrs of tenure and the next will continue the existing projects.Pakistan is the only country in the world enriched with resources and potential, but who will provide the right platform.this is the cry of the day.

Rashed Khan | 13 years ago | Reply The Power of democracy. The power of 18th amendment.

Anum | 13 years ago | Reply So we have to wait three more years for crisis to end? Is there a backup plan till then or do we have to rot in the scorching heat? Not to mention all the unemployment this electricity shortage has caused!

Saad | 13 years ago | Reply I hope it goes the way its described. The provincial government in that province seems to have put their priorities in the right direction. let they supply this electricity to their industries direcctly on cheaper rates to make them competative with those here in Punjab and Sind.

Logic | 13 years ago | Reply Good job. Speed it up for the betterment of the nation.

saleem khan | 13 years ago | Reply A very good initiative by K-P government and inshallah the fruits of 18th Amendment will be available very soon to the provinces. Allah may help them in this noble cause of generating electricity in this country and our prayers are with them.

Asmat Jamal | 13 years ago | Reply That’s the best thing that I have heard in years. Pakhtunkhwa must utilize its God given wealth. Pakhtunkhwa has a potential to produce 40,000 Mega Watt of hydro –power. After the wrath of WAPDA being removed through 18th amendment, Provinces will now be able to do some thing about their energy crisis. WAPDA had kept the energy sector hostage to the construction of Kala Bagh Dam. It willfully created the situation at the cost of Pakistan’s development. Sindh and Balochistan must also follow the course and utilize its coal for production of electricity. Gas fired electricity projects should be closed and shelved after coal fired projects become functional and preserve the gas for better utility like use in fertilizers and scores of other value added things. Pakistan must explore its strength areas and take firm stand against mafias which has brought Pakistan to this pass.

Fahd Shah | 13 years ago | Reply I can bet my life on this that all the people in the ministry will take a certain amount of COMMISSION from this money. Proof just conduct a an Audit (publically) and you will get all the answers.

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