KP completes 3 hydropower projects of 63 MW

PESHAWAR: The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has successfully completed three hydropower projects of 63 megawatt (MW) electricity generating capacity; Rs.4.4 billion per annum for the province.

Furthermore, the pace of work has also been accelerated on laying a 40-kilometer transmission line on the Swat Corridor, which will be completed next year and with its completion, cheap electricity produced by the completed hydropower projects will be sold to the industrial sector at subsidized rates.

These views were expressed by Secretary Energy & Power, Nisar Ahmed while chairing a progress review meeting on 7 major ongoing hydropower projects at the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) House.

During the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PEDO, Habibullah Shah briefed and explained that this year, three major hydropower projects of 63 MW namely 40.8 MW Koto Dir, 11.8 MW Karora Shangla and 10.2 MW Jabori, Mansehra, have been completed successfully. He further informed about the progress being made on 300 MW Balakot Mansehra, 157 MW Maden Swat, 88 MW Gabral Kalam, 84 MW Mitaltan Swat, 69 MW Lawi Chitral and 6.9 MW Mujahideen Power Project Torghar.

The Secretary Energy expressed his displeasure over the slow pace of work on the three ongoing flagship energy projects in Swat district. The deadline for the generation of 330 MW of electricity from these projects has been set to start in the next two years.

He warned the concerned project directors to complete the projects within the stipulated time line otherwise any delay will be intolerable.

The Secretary Energy and Power urged the PEDO officers to handle all matters through teamwork as the Energy Department is monitoring the physical progress of all ongoing projects on a daily basis through the gain chart under the Good Governance Roadmap of the current provincial government.

He termed the 40-kilometer long 132/220 KV transmission line project from Matiltan to Maden as very important in the coming days and stressed on completing the project within the timeframe at all costs.

He also issued instructions to the newly appointed project director concerned to further expedite the work on the province’s largest project, 300 MW Balakot. At the end of meeting, the Secretary Energy also issued necessary instructions to make the administrative affairs of PEDO more transparent.