Karot project’s first unit starts running

The unit-1 of Karot hydropower project with production capacity of 180 megawatts of electricity started running after the successful commissioning of “Wet Test”.

“The energy produced from the unit-1 will provide support to the national grid in alleviating the energy crisis,” remarked Karot Power Company CEO Wang Minsheng.

The unit-1 with capacity of 180MW is continuously running on full load and is supplying energy to the national grid, said a statement issued by Karot Power Company.

“Hard work of Chinese and Pakistani staff enabled us to achieve this important milestone,” said Minsheng.

According to a statement, the 500-kilovolt switchyard of 720MW Karot hydropower project achieved back energisation on April 2, 2022.

Moreover, unit-2 of the power project has also started the wet commissioning. Karot power project’s team with the support of National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) will carry out the testing and commissioning of the remaining units as per schedule, said the statement.

The hydropower project’s timely commissioning will ease the power shortage in Pakistan. Karot is the first large-scale hydropower project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The project has total installed capacity of 720MW and can provide about 3.2 billion kilowatt hours of clean energy annually after completion.

It will meet the electricity demand of about 5 million people, which will ease power supply pressure in the country.

The project is envisaged to start commercial operation by mid-2022. It is funded by the China Three Gorges Corporation and is part of its global push for “clean and green” infrastructure development.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2022.

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