Two additional wind power plants are scheduled to be installed in Sindh province with 33 wind turbines each, it has been reported.
They will collectively produce 99MW electricity once completed by the end of this year. The two projects with a designed capacity of 49.5 MW each, are among the 21 energy cooperation projects to be completed under early harvest programme of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of One Belt, One Road initiative of Chinese President, Xi Jinping, it was reported.
The two projects, to be completed by China Three Gorges Corporation (CGT), one of the world’s largest energy companies, will be capable of producing energy for around 120,000 households in the country. According to the head of the administration department of the first phase of its wind energy project, Wu Di, China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Limited, a subsidiary of the CTG’s international arm, will invest US$ 224 million in the upcoming two projects to be completed in 18 months in Jhimpir area of Thatta district. China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Limited has successfully established Three Gorges First Wind Farm Pakistan on a Build-Own-Operate model with a cost of US$ 130.279 million, which has already been providing 49.5MW power.
Three Gorges First Wind Farm Pakistan, located 90 km east of the southern port city of Karachi and 80 km from Arabian Sea, produced 146.26 million KWh in one year with 33 wind turbines, fulfilling the needs of around 60,000 households. Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometer- long coastal line that has abundant wind resources with an average wind speed of 7.4 meters/second creating a huge potential for wind energy production. According to Wu Di, the second and third phases of the wind projects are likely to create employment opportunities for around 1,200 locals during the highest construction time, and for around 70 locals during the operational phase.
