PPIB is processing 12 power projects of about 11,000MW aiming to make Pakistan an energy sufficient country. These power projects are being set up at different locations of all the four provinces including AJ&K while most of these projects are based on indigenous resources of hydro and coal which will bring down the generation cost and improve generation mix. From the above 12 CPEC projects, 11 projects with cumulative capacity of 10,000MW are expected to commission over a period of five years from 2017 onwards.
Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) is one of the leading institutions of the Government of Pakistan in implementation of flagship China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy sector plan.
It is noteworthy that CPEC has been instrumental in achieving a historical breakthrough in the energy history of Pakistan whereby the country’s coal reserves at Thar are being developed having coal mining and power generation projects of which two projects of 660MW and 330MW have already started construction at site. CPEC is a flagship project of “One Belt One Road” initiative to accelerate economic growth by bridging the infrastructure gap and a comprehensive development plan of the Governments of Pakistan and China where projects in different sectors which include roadways, railways, special economic zones, mass transit and most significantly the power sector in which PPIB has a prominent role to play.
Three hydropower projects namely Karot Hydropower project of 720MW at the border of Punjab & AJ&K, Suki Kinari of 870MW at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kohala Hydropower Project of 1124MW at AJ&K are CPEC projects being processed by PPIB of which Karot and Suki Kinari projects have started their construction while Financial Close of Kohala is in progress.
All other projects are based on coal which include 1320MW project at Sahiwal, 1320MW project at Port Qasim Karachi, 1320MW at Hub, 660MW at Thar and 330MW at Thar have been under construction while 2 x 1320 MW projects at Thar, 330MW project at Thar, and 300MW project at Gwadar are at different stages of processing.
In addition PPIB is also processing country’s first +660 kV HVDC Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line Project under the CPEC to evacuate and transmit electricity from upcoming power projects mostly located in the southern parts of country.
The CPEC power projects would produce affordable electricity which would flourish the industrial sector and play major role in reducing generating cost to enable the sector to compete in the world market.
