The projects for the supply of 100MW electricity from Iran and connectivity of the national grid to Gwadar will be completed by early next year, ProPakistani has learned from reliable sources.
The Planning Ministry has asked the power division to complete both the projects of electricity supply, of 100 MW from Iran and the national grid, to Gwadar by early next year to overcome the power shortage of the port city, an official source told ProPakistani.
During a review meeting on the projects of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Federal Minister for Planning, Ahsan Iqbal, directed the officials of the power division for the past track completion of both projects of power supply to Gwadar, the source said.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, is likely to inaugurate the supply from both projects to Gwadar by early next year, the source revealed. Currently, the planned construction of a 300MW coal power plant in Gwadar is on hold, therefore, the government is trying to plug the demand-supply gap of the port city with alternative sources.
At present, there are two projects underway for the supply of electricity to Gwadar. One is the import of an additional 100MW from Iran, and the other is the connectivity of Gwadar with the national grid. In June this year, Pakistan and Iran signed an agreement for the supply of an additional 100MW of electricity to Gwadar.
Since 1999, Pakistan has been importing electricity from Iran to districts in southwestern Balochistan. Similarly, currently, Gwadar is not connected to the national grid, therefore, the NTDC is working on a transmission line to connect Gwadar with the national grid.
