JCC of CPEC decides to enhance capacity of Thar power projects to 2,600MW

KARACHI: The fifth meeting of Joint Cooperation Committee of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has accorded approval to enhance capacity of coal-based power plants to be built at Thar Desert in Sindh from 660 Megawatts to 2600.
This was disclosed by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Prof Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday at meet-the-press programme of Karachi Press Club after conclusion of 5th meeting of JCC of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) held from November 10 to 12 here at a hotel.
Representatives of the four provinces were especially invited to attend the JCC meeting so that provincial governments could propose their own development projects to be included in CPEC.
The federal minister said that initial coal-based power project of 660MW in Thar would start functioning by December of year 2017 while in addition to this mining for extraction of Thar coal would also be carried out during the same time.
He said that Thar coal project would be helpful for transforming the hitherto backward desert area of Sindh into the centre of lights and energy.
Prof Iqbal said that Multan-Sukkur and Karachi-Hyderabad sections of motorway would be completed as part of CPEC by December, 2017. While as part of Western route of CPEC, Quetta-Gwadar motorway would be built by December, 2016.
While entire Western route of CPEC would also made dual for speedy two-way movement of vehicular traffic,
He said the Pakistani government had offered the Chinese officials at JCC meeting to include construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam as a major development project being part of the CPEC as the government had completed the task of acquisition of land for the project with a cost of Rs105 billion.
He said that hopefully groundbreaking of Diamer-Bhasha Dam would be performed by year 2016 as it would be one major milestone to be achieved by the government under its drive to build major water reservoirs for sake of food and energy security of the country.
He said that in the previous day at a ceremony held in Gwadar, Balochistan; 650 acres of proposed total 2200 acres had been handed over to a Chinese company to construct development projects in Gwadar including upgrading of Gwadar port as part of CPEC.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was very much important project for Pakistan and China.
He recommended the Joint Executing Authority of this project to include Karachi to Lahore, Lahore to Islamabad road and development of oldest but historical Keti Bundar port in this CPEC project and added that without it the project will not complete.
This he observed while addressing the Reception hosted by him in the honour of Participants of 5th meeting of Joint-Committee of China-Pakistan Economic Corridors held at Local Hotel on Thursday.
Addressing the gathering, Qaim said that the main portion of this road from Hyderabad to Sukkur comprising on 350 kilometres or even above was in very bad condition. He said that even he do not know who was constructing this road and added that without qualitative construction of this portion the CPEC will not be completed. The other important thing is Keti Bundar. He said that we already have two ports, Karachi Port and Bin Qasim Port but the Keti Bundar was very oldest and historical port which needs lot of attention. He said that construction of road leading from Karachi to Keti Bundar started during the Govt headed by Shaheed Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto, but it was off course single road.
He said that it has to be constructed and it can be taken up as the part of CPEC project. While emphasizing on the development of Keti Bundar Port the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that Keti Bundar was oldest and historical port and it was important so far development of energy is concerned, because this port is near to Thar Coal mine.
Besides, the location of Keti Bundar was very important because of its strategic point of view. It is more compact and has connection with South Asia and it is close to Hong Kong as well. The Chief Minister Sindh said that the CPEC Authorities are more concentrating on Gwadar Port and added that Gwadar was also important Port for economy of Pakistan and China as well, but Keti Bundar is also important because of its strategic location.