16 hydropower projects in KP to generate over 2,000 MW

PESHAWAR: The provincial government claims it is working on the fast track on at least 16 hydropower projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These hydropower projects will generate 2,131mw cheap electricity and generate an annual income of Rs10,430 million for the province.

Three short-term projects of 62.8mw will be completed this year and four medium-term projects of 170.06mw will be completed in 2023 which will add 232.8mw to the national grid. Another 1,899mw long-term nine projects are in different stages and will be completed within five to 10 years.

Similarly, 10 projects of 1,870mw have been awarded to different organisations under future plans. These projects will be built on a public and private partnership basis. Land acquisition, feasibility study and detailed design works have been initiated on all long-term projects.

During the financial year 2019-20, the KP government had received Rs3,302 million revenue from the already completed seven projects of 161.2mw, while the revenue target for the current fiscal year is Rs3,700 million.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan told this scribe that completion of the hydropower projects is the first and top priority of the government. He termed the project of vital importance for the province and milestone achievement of the provincial government.

“The incumbent provincial government is taking result-oriented steps under a well-devised strategy to ensure optimum utilisation of the hydropower potential to meet its energy requirements and strengthen economy”, he said. PEDO Chief Executive Officer Naeem Khan said that these projects would play an important role in boosting industrial activities, job creation and overall development of the province. He maintained that the provincial government was committed to selling power to the industry from 18mw Pehur HPP to Gadoon Industrial Estate through a wheeling arrangement.

The supply of energy to industrial zones will benefit the industry by getting cheap and uninterrupted energy and this will help boost industrialisation in the province and create new job opportunities. The second phase of wheeling has been started.

According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) data available to this scribe, three projects of 62.8mw will be commissioned during the current year 2021 and the province will get an annual income of Rs3,949 million.

Jabori HPP Mansehera will produce 10.2mw cheap electricity and will be completed at a cost of Rs3,798 million. This project will generate Rs669 million per year.

The second project of Karora HPP, Shangla, is near completion and will generate 11.8mw electricity. The total cost of the project is Rs4,620 million and will generate Rs814 million per annum. The third project of Koto Dir has 40.8mw capacity. It would be completed at a cost of Rs13,998.8 million and will generate around Rs2,466 million per year.

Another four important projects of 170.06mw will be completed in 2023 and will generate revenue of Rs6,501 million a year. Matiltan HHP Swat has 84mw capacity and the province will get an income of Rs2,768 million per year.

Similarly, Lawi HHP, Chitral and Chapri Charkhel HPP, Kurram, have 69 and 10.5 megawatts capacity. Both the projects will earn Rs2,552 and Rs838 million per year, respectively. Similarly, 6.5mw Barandu Tor Gar will be completed in 2023 and generate Rs343 million per annum.

Similarly, 1,899mw nine projects are in different phases and will be completed between five and 10 years with the financial support of different organisations. The World Bank is financing two projects 88mw Gabral Kalam, Swat and 157mw Madyan HPP, Swat.

The Asian Development Bank is financing the 300mw Balakot project. Four projects —— Kari Muskhur, Chitral, Spat Gah, Kohistan, Naran Dam, Mansehra, and Batakhundi —— will be built on a public-private partnership basis.

Kari Muskhur, Chitral, is 465mw, Spat Gah, Kohistan 496mw, Naran Dam, Mansehra 188mw and Batakhundi are of 96mw capacity. Two projects Barikot Patrak and Patrak Shringal have been included in PSDP with 47mw and 22mw capacity.

Frontier Works Organization (FWO) has been awarded three projects in Chitral ——- Laspur Marigram HPP 230mw, Shushgai Zhendoli 144mw and Shogo Sin 132mw. Similarly, two projects of Chitral Toren More Kari and Samshel Toren More of 350mw and 260mw have been awarded to Chinese company Sinohydro.

Two projects in Swat —— Kalam Asrit 197mw and Asrit Kedam 215mw —- have been awarded to KOEN, Korea. Shigo Kach 102mwin Dir has been awarded to SaifCo Sinomac and Sharmai 150mw to Sapphire Electric. Master Group has been awarded 99mw Arkari Gol

at Chitral.