884-MW Suki Kinari hydropower plant to begin operations by end of August

Pakistan’s 884-MW Suki Kinari hydropower plant is set to commence commercial operations by the end of this month. 

According to media reports, upon completion, it will be the largest private sector and hydropower project commissioned under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and one of its highest-priority early harvest projects.

S K Hydro (Private) Limited, a subsidiary of the Chinese Engineering Corporation (CEEC), is nearing the final stages of completion, with commercial operations expected to start by late August 2024. 

The achievement is attributed to the joint efforts of PPIB, SK Hydro, and the facilitation from various government ministries and departments in China, Pakistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

To celebrate this milestone, SK Hydro is planning a ceremony on September 19, 2024, in Islamabad, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited as the chief guest.

Shah Jahan Mirza, Managing Director of PPIB, highlighted the project’s $1.8 billion investment as a significant green initiative under the CPEC portfolio. 

The project is set to transmit low-cost, green power through a newly completed 500kV transmission line, reducing reliance on crude oil and LNG imports and saving billions of dollars annually. 

The 75-kilometer transmission line, constructed to evacuate power from the hydropower project to the national grid, is hailed as an engineering marvel and a symbol of the strong partnership between Pakistan and China.