ISLAMABAD: Work on power projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is going on smoothly and most of the projects are going ahead of schedule.
According to official documents, work on the 1320 MW coal-fired Plant at Port Qasim Karachi is two months ahead of schedule.
The scheduled Commercial Operation Date (COD) for the $ 1.98 billion project has been set at June 2018.
Similarly, work on another 1320 MW Thar coal-fired power plants (4 units each of 330 MW) is also ahead of scheduled date.
Talking to APP, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Compay (SECMC) Chief Executive Officer Shams-ud-Din Ahmed Sheikh said, “We are running ahead of the given schedule; though the commercial operation date (COD) of two power plants is June 2019, we expect electricity production from the first unit to begin by the end of next year or early 2019.”
It may be mentioned here that so far five energy projects with installed capacity of 2,520MW initiated under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC) early harvest programme has so far been completed.
The 1,320MW Shaiwal coal power project was recently completed under CPEC at a cost of $ 1.6 billion, the official document revealed.
Similarly, Hydro China Dawood and Sachal Energy Development wind power projects with 50MW capacity each were completed at a cost of $ 134 million and $ 112 million, respectively.
Another 100MW wind power project in Jhimpir, Thatta is also operational now and contributing to the national grid, the official document said, adding that it was completed at a cost of $ 257 million.
