Revenue generation through hydropower increased

PESHAWAR: Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation has made a significant increase in its revenue generation through hydropower projects during the last two years, a meeting was told.

The progress review meeting of KP Energy and Power Department was held with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair, said an official handout. Advisor to Chief Minister Himayatullah Khan, secretary Energy, chief executive officer of PEDO and others attended the meeting. During the fiscal year 2018-19, the meeting was told, revenue worth Rs.1571.14m was generated whereas during the last fiscal year, a revenue worth of Rs.3458m was generated through different hydropower projects of the province.

Similarly, through the solar projects, a total of 4,421,663 KWh energy was saved per year and thus saving an amount of Rs78.25 million per annum in the head of electricity bills. The meeting was told that various hydropower projects had been completed during the last two years. These included 17 MW Ranolia Hydro Power project, 2.60 MW Machai HHP and 36.6 MW Dral Khwar Hydropower Project in Swat.

Total cost of three projects is Rs14 b and these projects will expectedly generate annual revenue of Rs2.0b for the province. Feasibility studies of 495MW Kari-Hydropower Project, Chitral and Gabral-Kalam Hydro-power project, Swat have also been completed. Wheeling of electricity from Pehur Hydropower Project to industrial units has already been started while power purchase agreements for 17MW Ranolia and 36.6MW Daral Khwar had been signed with CCPA-G. KP Transmission & Grid Company has been established and will be functional soon. This is first-ever Transmission & Grid Company that would have liberty of dispersal of power from powerhouses either to national grids or to industrial zones in KP.

It added a public-private partnership model has been introduced for fast track implementation of hydropower projects under which work is in progress on 896MW lower Sapat Gah hydropower project, 188MW Naran Hydro Power Project and 96MW Battakundi Hydropower Project. Briefing CM about progress made so far on solarization projects, it was told solarization of CM Secretariat/House, Civil Secretariat, 100 villages of central and southern districts, 300 mosques of newly merged areas, 100 villages of northern districts has been completed whereas additional 4,000 mosques of the province would also be solarized. It was also told that over 1000 direct jobs have been created through various projects of the Energy sector during the last two years.

The CM directed officials concerned to ensure completion of the ongoing projects within the stipulated time period and ensure physical progress on the new developmental schemes as per the given timelines so that the public could benefit those projects without any delay.