August 12 – First unit of Suki Kinari HPP Synchronization and Power Generation on Monday.
The first unit of the Chinese-built Suki Kinari Hydropower project in northwest Pakistan was connected to the national grid for power generation on Monday.
This milestone indicates that the project, a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has reached the most crucial phase leading to its commercial operation.
He Xiongfei of China Energy Construction Overseas Investment Company
He Xiongfei, the deputy general manager of China Energy Construction Overseas Investment Company Ltd., which is responsible for the investment and execution of the project, informed that the hydropower station has started delivering clean electricity to the local population following the connection of the first unit to Pakistan’s national grid.
According to the Chinese manager, the project is anticipated to supply over 1 million Pakistani households with affordable and clean electricity annually.
He further explained that the project will aid Pakistan in adjusting its national power energy structure, bridging the electricity supply-demand gap, and fostering infrastructure and economic growth in the country.
Situated in the Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the 884-megawatt hydropower project, equipped with four impulse units, began construction in January 2017.
When fully operational later this year, it is expected to generate approximately 3.21 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, replacing 1.28 million tons of coal and cutting down 2.52 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, according to the Chinese manager.
Initiated in 2013, the CPEC is a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It serves as a corridor linking Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan province with Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The project’s first phase emphasizes energy, transport, and industrial collaboration, while the second phase broadens the focus to include agriculture, livelihoods, and other sectors.
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