ISLAMABAD – Pakistan- Pakistan China Karot Hydropower Project inaugurationdate revealed.
The 720-megawatt Karot Hydropower Plant, a major pilot project under theChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) located 70 km east of Islamabad, isexpected to start commercial operations by the end of 2021.
According to the details, about 70 percent of the overall construction hasbeen completed.
The deputy general manager of Karot Power Company says:
Once it gets functional, the CPEC project will annually generate 3.2billion units of clean electricity meeting the electricity demand of around5 million local people and optimizing the energy consumption structure inthe country.
During the construction period, the project has provided job opportunitiesto local people, with nearly 5,000 Pakistani employees working on theproject. The total number of the Chinese staff is just around one-fourth ofthat of the locals, he added while talking to a Chinese publication.
Moreover, Chinese and Pakistani workers have learned professional skillsfrom each other.
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The project is being constructed at river Jehlum with an estimated cost of$1420 million. The financial close of the project was achieved in February2017 and the land acquisition award has also been done.
Similarly, work for the construction of access roads, bridges, concretebatching plant, diversion tunnel, and spillway is in process.
The Karot Hydropower Project is a 720 MW run-of-river project to be builton the Jhelum River, and is being developed by Karot Power Company (KPCL),a special purpose project in which China Three Gorges South Asia Investment(CSAIL) also holds shares.
The hydropower project (HPP) will have a reservoir storage capacity of164.5m. The project will help improve the dependability of the energysupply in the region.
