PM inaugurates power plant in Dera Murad Jamali

DERA MURAD JAMALI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated the Uch-II electric power plant in Dera Murad Jamali, Express News reported. 

The power plant has the capacity to produce 404 megawatts of electricity.

Producing electricity from natural gas, the Uch-II is the extension of Uch power plant which has been generating 486 megawatts.

The prime minister, while addressing those gathered for the inauguration, said the Uch project was unique as it was run on natural gas and that it will bring prosperity to Balochistan and reduce the electricity shortage in the country.

Prime Minister Nawaz said Balochistan was neglected in the past but this will not happen now. "I understand the importance of this region and the people of Balochistan have the right to the underground naturals resources present in the area," he said.

The prime minister congratulated all the stakeholders for successfully completing the project. He also invited the officials of the GDF Suez company to invest in Gadani where the government was setting up 10 coal power plants of 660 megawatts each.

Nawaz also said that the government has started mining coal from Sindh for energy generation. He further said that the government was reviving the incomplete Neelum-Jhelum hydro plant, that will produce 959 megawatts, and the Nandipur thermal plant that would produce 425 megawatts.

The premier further revealed his plans to initiate a wind power project at Jhimpir, Sindh and a solar project in Cholistan as part of his long term plans to reduce electricity shortage in the country.