PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, while stressing the need of optimum utilization of hydropower potential of the province, has said that the provincial government is working on a number of mega hydropower projects to overcome energy crisis.
Chairing a performance review meeting of the Energy and Power Department held on Saturday, the CM said that upon completion, these projects would not only help overcome the energy crisis in the province, but would also give impetus to industrial and economic activities and help create new employment opportunities in the province.
Briefing the meeting about the progress made so far on various developmental projects of the department, the committee was informed that 94pc work on Jabori Hydropower Project, Mansehra, had been completed while the remaining work would be completed by the end of this year.
The project, on completion, will generate more than 71GW electricity per annum. Similarly, 88pc work on Karora Hydropower Project, Shangla, had been completed and the remaining work would be completed by January next year, and the project will have a power generating capacity of 72GW electricity per annum.
It was further informed that 85pc work had been completed on 40MW Kotu Hydropower Project, Lower Dir, whereas physical progress on 84MW Matiltan Hydropower Project is 47pc.
The meeting was told that the Executive Committee of National Economic Council had accorded approval to 157MW Madayan and 88MG Gabral Hydropower Projects to be executed under the Khyber Pakhtinkhwa Hydropower and Renewable Energy Programme. Work on 300MW Balakot Hydropower Project will be started next year, the meeting was informed.
Expressing his satisfaction on the overall performance of the department, Mehmood Khan directed the high ups of the department for result oriented steps to ensure timely completion of all the ongoing projects and to ensure progress on the new projects as per the given timelines.
It was told that the newly established Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transmission and Grid System Company had been formally registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). The company has been set up with the aim to have a separate and independent transmission and grid infrastructure of the provincial government for the supply of locally produced electricity to the local industries, Special Economic Zones, and other commercial consumers on incentivized rates.
Regarding the micro hydel power projects it was apprised that in the first phase 307 projects had been completed in 11 districts of the province having a total production capacity of 25000 Kilowatt whereas 672 micro hydel power projects would be started in the second phase.
With regard to the solarization programme of the department, it was informed that 300 mosques had been solarized in the newly merged districts, and work has been started on the solarization of 4,000 more mosques in the province. Tenders have also been issued for the solarization of 8,000 schools and 187 Basic Health Units across the province.
