The Suki Kinari hydropower project will be completed in 2020 and inject 3,081 million clean, reliable and affordable units of electricity each year into the national grid and will be of great help in meeting future electricity needs. PHOTO: FILE
Afghanistan has withdrawn its objection to 4,300-megawatt Dasu dam and power project as it is going to be set up on the river that is entirely in Pakistan’s territory.
Federal Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated this here on Friday while speaking at a ceremony marking the signing of an implementation agreement between the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and SK Hydro (Private) Limited.
Under the deal, the two sides will develop the 870-megawatt Suki Kinari hydropower project at a cost of $1.8 billion in Mansehra district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The ground-breaking ceremony of the project will be held on May 15. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will kick off the construction work.
PPIB Managing Director NA Zuberi and SK Hydro CEO Haseeb Khan inked the implementation agreement on behalf of their respective sides. Water and Power Secretary Saifullah Chattha and senior PPIB officials were present.
Talking to the media, Asif said the government was taking all possible steps to generate cheap electricity from domestic resources like coal, wind, solar and hydel.
He said the public sector was setting up the Dasu Dam and had also arranged necessary financing.
The World Bank is likely to approve a loan of $4.5 billion for the
project in a meeting to be held on May 29.
Responding to a question about the setting up of two power projects in the public sector, he said the response of investors to the Gadani Power Park was very encouraging and now the government was considering establishing all 10 projects of 660MW each in the private sector.
Asif pointed out that China was keen to set up power projects of 20,000MW capacity in Pakistan and after completion of all projects, load-shedding would come to an end.
He was of the view that because of the policies of the government and encouraging response of the international community to the Eurobonds floated by Pakistan, the government would not face financing problems while implementing Bhasha, Bunji and Thakot power projects.
The Suki Kinari hydropower project will be completed in 2020 and inject 3,081 million clean, reliable and affordable units of electricity each year into the national grid and will be of great help in meeting future electricity needs.
Furthermore, the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will earn approximately Rs470 million per annum on account of water charges. After 30 years of operation, the project will be transferred to the province without any cost.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (9)
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So what it is not gonna go any where. We have seen dozens of such big projects such as IP and so on.. just waste of money.
@shah fahad: Pak has already engaged China on Bunji (7000 MW), asking for Bhasha (4500 MW) was a bit embarrassment cuz after all these years of War on Terror apart from extensions / expansions not a single major project was supported / finance from our "Allies". However, if Pak insists China will help in Bhasha too, no doubt.
Dasu is smaller in comparisons to all but the catch is Dasu can not be fully utilized until Bhasha is up n running. China Three Gorges Corporation already have a footprint in Pak.
Our direction is right but our pace is slow.
regards,
Illegal dam counstruction from pakistan should be stopped immediately.Other wise you have to pay the price for what you are doing.
@shah fahad. And the india obsession starts.. Everything has to begin and end at india isn't it?
@shah fahad. And the india obsession begins.... Everything has to start and end at india isn't it?
@Rizwan, I like your comment about the barbarian neighbor. I guess Pakistan is the most peace loving, non violent country in the world where it exports flowers and essential oils to its immediate neighbors.
my perception is, afghanistan objection is not an issue rather the basha dam is not acceptable for India. india is trying her best to stop the construction, initially WB and ADB had refused to extend financing for diamer basha dam under the pressure of India but later they set abide the pressure and extend financing. basha dam can provide 4500 MW of electricity and world bank had agreed funding for 4320MW dassu hydropower instead of basha diamer dam the bank was simply reluctant so for to finance $12 billion for diamer basha dam, so the name is again controvercial. it is right of pakistan to decide its name, DASU or BASHA dam, banks should not intervene and don't stop financing on this issue. eventually, my idea is, for fast development of basha dam, pakistan should opt for china and within 5 years the project will become complete other wise there are many hurdles beside india, WB and afghanistan.
This river has nothing to even do with Afghanistan! Who on earth cares what our barbarian neighbours think about OUR OWN infrastructure projects?