Pakistan Ramps Up Nuclear Power to Boost Low-Carbon Electric Power

[Riaz Haq]

Construction of 1,100 MW nuclear power reactor K2 unit in Karachi has been completed by China National Nuclear Corporation, according to media reports. A similar reactor unit K3 will add another 1,100 MW of nuclear power to the grid, bringing the total nuclear power installed capacity of Pakistan to 3,630 MW (12% of total power) by 2022.  Hualong One reactors being installed in Pakistan are based on improved Westinghouse AP1000 design which is far safer than Chernobyl and Fukushima plants.  In addition, Pakistan is also generating  9,389  MW (about 28% of total power) of low-carbon hydroelectric power in response to rising concerns about climate change.

Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP):

With the placement of the outer containment shell, K2 is  now ready for containment and heat tests. It is scheduled to begin operations in 2020. It’s built using the Chinese HPR1000 technology, which features a dual containment design, with the outer containment providing additional protection for the primary containment.

Karachi Nuclear Power Plant K2 Unit Under Construction. Source: CNNC

KANUPP is Pakistan's first nuclear power plant where construction started in 1966 in Karachi. The plant was connected to the national grid on 18 October 1972. KANUPP, a pressurized heavy water reactor of 137 MW gross capacity was constructed by Canadian General Electric under a turnkey contract. In 1976, vendor support for spare parts and fuel was withdrawn. The PAEC undertook the task of indigenously manufacturing the required spare parts and nuclear fuel on an emergency basis and, since 1980, KANUPP has successfully operated using fuel manufactured by the PAEC, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Here is an except of IAEA's 2018 report on nuclear power in Pakistan:

"Despite the keen interest of Pakistan in building additional nuclear plants, it took more than two decades before the second nuclear power plant started construction. This delay was due to Pakistan’s lack of access to international nuclear technology coupled with a lack of indigenous industrial infrastructure. The construction of Pakistan’s second nuclear plant, C-1, a pressurized water reactor (PWR), was made possible in 1993 with the help of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The plant was connected to the national grid on 13 June 2000 and has a gross capacity of 325 MW. A third nuclear power plant, C-2, with 325 MW gross capacity started commercial operation on 18 May 2011. The fourth unit, C-3, started commercial operation on 6 December 2016. It has a gross capacity of 340 MW and a similar plant, C-4, sited beside C-3, was connected to the grid on 25 June 2017. The first concrete pours to mark the start of construction of Karachi Coastal Power Project, a project containing two nuclear units, K-2 and K-3 (1100 MW each), based on an improved PWR design, were 20 August 2015 and 31 May 2016, respectively."

Pakistan Power Generation Fuel Mix. Source: Third Pole

International Energy Agency:

International Energy Agency (IEA) has recently warned that "steep decline in nuclear power would threaten energy security and climate goals". "With nuclear power facing an uncertain future in many countries, the world risks a steep decline in its use in advanced economies that could result in billions of tonnes of additional carbon emissions", the IEA has said.

Pakistan Among 31 Countries Operating Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear is the second-largest low-carbon power source in the world today, accounting for 10% of global electricity generation. It is second only to hydropower at 16%, according to International Energy Agency (IEA). Pakistan nuclear plants are expected to generate 3,630 MW  (12% of total power vs 10% global average) by 2022.  Pakistan is also generating  9,389  MW (about 28% of total power vs 16% global average) of low-carbon hydroelectric power in response to rising concerns about climate change.

Nuclear Plant Safety Concerns:

Activists in Pakistan have raised serious concerns about potential risks from K2 and K3 plants to the population in Karachi. Are such concerns valid?

The worst nuclear disaster in the history of nuclear power generation was at Chernobyl in present day Ukraine. One of the key reasons was that the Chernobyl plant did not have the fortified containment structure common to most nuclear power plants elsewhere in the world. KANUPP K-2 and K-3 reactors have two containment shells: primary and secondary. It is noteworthy that Bhopal Union Carbide disaster was history's worst industrial disaster, far bigger in terms of human toll than the Chernobyl disaster.

China signed a technology transfer deal with the United States in 2006 that put the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor design at the “core” of its atomic energy program. Chinese reactor manufacturers also resolved to build advanced third-generation technology in their safety review after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster.

Unlike Fukushima where underground emergency cooling system failed due to flooding, the Hualong One design stores water above the reactor that can be gravity-fed to keep it cool if the pumps fail in the event of meltdown. The Chinese HPR1000 reactors employ multiple redundant generators and cooling systems to lower meltdown risk.

Hydropower Generation:

The biggest and most important source of low-carbon energy in Pakistan is its hydroelectric power plants. Pakistan ranked third in the world by adding nearly 2,500 MW of hydropower in 2018, according to Hydropower Status Report 2019.  China added the most capacity with the installation of 8,540 megawatts, followed by Brazil (3,866 MW), Pakistan (2,487 MW), Turkey (1,085 MW), Angola (668 MW), Tajikistan (605 MW), Ecuador (556 MW), India (535 MW), Norway (419 MW) and Canada (401 MW).

New Installed Hydroelectric Power Capacity in 2018. Source: Hydrowo...

Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) says commissioning of the 108-MW Golen Gol 2, 1,410-MW Tarbela 4th Extension and 969-MW Neelum Jhelum hydropower projects in 2018 boosted its hydroelectric generating capacity of 9,389 MW, an increase of 36% in just one year, according to Hydro Review. Hydropower now makes up about 28% of the total installed capacity of 33,836 MW as of February, 2019.   WAPDA reports contributing 25.63 billion units of hydroelectricity to the national grid during the year, “despite the fact that water flows in 2018 remained historically low.” This contribution “greatly helped the country in meeting electricity needs and lowering the electricity tariff for the consumers.”

Top 20 Countries by Newly Installed Hydropower Capacity. Source: IHA

Pakistan has the potential to generate 59,000 MW of hydropower, according to studies conducted by the nation's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Currently, it's generating only 9,389 MW of hydroelectric power, about 16% of the estimated potential. Media reports indicate that China is prepared to finance and build another 40,000MW capacity as part of the development of the Northern Indus Cascade region which begins in Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan and runs through to Tarbela, the site of Pakistan’s biggest dam, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan has made only a small contribution to climate change through carbon emissions.  And yet, it counts among the dozen or so nations considered most vulnerable to its damaging effects. These include rising temperatures, recurring cycles of floods and droughts and resulting disruption in food production.

Summary: 

Construction of 1,100 MW nuclear power reactor K2 unit in Karachi has been completed by China National Nuclear Corporation, according to media reports. A similar reactor unit K3 will add another 1,100 MW of nuclear power to the grid, bringing the total nuclear power installed capacity of Pakistan to 3,630 MW (12% of total power) by 2022.  Hualong One reactors being installed in Pakistan are based on improved Westinghouse AP1000 design which is far safer than Chernobyl and Fukushima plants.  In addition, Pakistan is also generating  9,389  MW (about 28% of total power) of low-carbon hydroelectric power in response to rising concerns about climate change. One of the ways Pakistan can help reduce carbon emissions is by realizing its full nuclear and hydroelectric power potential by building more nuclear plants and dams. The development of the Northern Indus Cascade region to generate 40,000MW of hydropower is a significant part of this effort.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

South Asia Investor Review

Nuclear Power in Pakistan

Recurring Cycles of Drought and Floods in Pakistan

Pakistan's Response to Climate Change

Massive Oil and Gas Discovery in Pakistan: Hype vs Reality

Renewable Energy for Pakistan

Digital BRI: China and Pakistan Building Fiber, 5G Networks

LNG Imports in Pakistan

Growing Water Scarcity in Pakistan

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Ownership of Appliances and Vehicles in Pakistan

CPEC Transforming Pakistan

Pakistan's $20 Billion Tourism Industry Boom

Riaz Haq's YouTube Channel

PakAlumni Social Network

[Riaz Haq]

#DiamerBhashaDam, world's tallest dam at 272 meters, will change #Pakistan's destiny by addressing its #energy & #water problems. Located in #GilgitBaltistan, it will store 6.4 million acre-feet of water, generate 4,500 MW of cheap #renewable #electricity https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202007/20/WS5f14f269a31083481725...

Project, to be ready in 2028, expected to meet water, energy needs in Gilgit-Baltistan region

A new mega project in northern Pakistan is expected to meet both water and energy needs of the region, according to officials and experts.

Work on the construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam near Chilas, a city in the Diamer district in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, has started.

"Diamer Bhasha Dam is set to change the destiny of Pakistan by addressing its energy and irrigation problems," Faisal Vawda, Pakistan's federal minister for water resources, said. "It's Pakistan's lifeline."

The dam's reservoir will be 272 meters in height, and it is said to be the tallest roller compact concrete dam in the world.

Roller compacted concrete is a special blend of concrete that has the same ingredients as conventional concrete but in different ratios, and with a partial substitution of fly ash for Portland cement. This reduces thermal loads on the dam and reduces chances of thermal cracking.

The dam has a proposed spillway with 14 gates and five outlets for flushing out silt. The diversion system comprises two tunnels and a diversion canal. It will also include the construction of powerhouses.

Asim Saleem Bajwa, chairman of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority, said the dam will generate 4,500 megawatt of hydroelectric power.

It was a historic moment as Prime Minister Imran Khan kicked off the construction work on Diamer Bhasha Dam, he said. "Around 16,000 jobs will be created during the construction of the dam."

Imran Khan officially launched the construction work on Wednesday, with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Qamar Bajwa by his side.

The biggest

"Diamer Bhasha Dam will be the biggest dam in Pakistan's history," the prime minister said while addressing the public during the launch. "The dam will benefit the country both economically and environmentally, especially the people of Gilgit-Baltistan," he said.

The multibillion-dollar project is estimated to be completed in 2028. It is a multipurpose project that will be used for water storage, flood mitigation, irrigation and power generation.

"This is no ordinary project. There is a reason why both Pakistan's prime minister and the army chief were present at the site for the project launch. It will have an impact on Pakistan's economy, security and politics," said Ahmed Quraishi, a senior fellow at Project Pakistan 21, an independent research organization based in national capital Islamabad.

Feather in the cap

It is another feather in the cap for the Chinese engineers who are known for undertaking challenging international projects, he said.

The project is being jointly constructed by Power China and Pakistan's Frontier Works Organization.

The Water and Power Development Authority of Pakistan approved the award of civil works for construction of the dam and the 21-MW Tangir Hydropower Project to the joint venture partners.

The two companies signed a contract in June with a local company for the construction of the diversion system, main dam and access bridge as well as the hydropower project.

"We are grateful to our all-weather friend China for its support in the construction of the mega project," said Faisal Vawda, the water resources minister.

Quraishi said the technical specifications of the project suggest it will be something that engineers worldwide will be studying due to the region's terrain. "China's experience in the dam construction is unparalleled," he said.

[Riaz Haq]

Hot testing completed at #Pakistan’s 1100 MW #Karachi 2 #nuclear power plant. Construction of Karachi 2 began in August 2015, followed by Karachi 3 in May 2016. Outer containment dome of Karachi 3 was installed in August 2020. Nuclear Engineering


https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newshot-testing-completed-at-pakis...


Unit 2 at Pakistan’s Karachi Nuclear Power Plant has completed hot functional tests, according to China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), which is constructing two units (2&3) at the plant.

Karachi 2 is the first overseas unit to use China's Hualong One technology. The thermal testing will be followed by nuclear fuel loading, grid connection and power generation.

The tests, lasting several weeks, includes simulating nuclear power plant operations to verify reliability of the main equipment and systems under thermal conditions before the reactor is loaded with nuclear fuel. They were completed on 4 September, CNNC said. Cold functional tests were completed at Karachi 2 in December 2019.

After the completion of hot tests, the Karachi 2 came close to the stage of physical launch, the message says.

Construction of the 1100MW Hualong One reactor Karachi 2 began in August 2015, followed by Karachi 3 in May 2016.

The outer containment dome of the Karachi 3 was installed at the end of August, CNNC said.

[Riaz Haq]

#Pakistan Pursues Big Action On #ClimateChange. Along with #trees planting, #PTI govt announced a new #ElectricVehicle policy this summer, and plans to get two-thirds of its #electricity from #renewable sources like #wind, #solar and #hydropower by 2030. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/29/916878679/with-glaciers-melting-and-...

On her first foray into tree planting, Laiba Atika forgot a key item — a shovel, which her mom later fetched.

But the 17-year-old is clear about why she is leading volunteers in the northern Pakistani city of Mardan to plant dozens of pine trees in a scrubby park.

"It's our duty as citizens," she says in formal English, "to implement actions that can make planet a better place to live in."

Atika's tree-planting drive is being replicated all over Pakistan, where the government aims to plant ten billion trees over five years with the help of local communities. The reforestation initiative is central to a wide-ranging plan the Pakistani government recently adopted to change practices and cut emissions that drive climate change.

Like most developing nations, Pakistan is not a big emitter of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. But developing countries suffer harm disproportionate to their historically low emissions. Climate-fueled extreme weather events, from floods to droughts, could displace or kill tens of thousands of people, straining government resources and threatening political stability.

That urgency has prompted some nations, such as Pakistan, to craft ambitious plans to reduce emissions, even as the world's second largest emitter, the United States, shrugs off serious climate action.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan "knows the implications of climate change and is willing to take the lead in putting Pakistan on a green trajectory," says Malik Amin Aslam, a senior climate change advisor to Khan and the leading proponent of the new policies.

Alongside tree planting, the government announced a new electric vehicle policy this summer, and plans to get two-thirds of its electricity from wind, solar and hydropower by 2030. "That is a genuine step up in ambition for renewable energy," said Simon Nicholas, an energy finance analyst who follows Pakistan at the U.S.-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

But the problems that have long hobbled Pakistan threaten its new climate goals, too, environmental activists say. Plans are undermined by corruption and lax implementation, according to Afia Salam, an activist in Karachi. Environmentalists point to other ambitious policies the government announced since it took power, like a ban on plastic bags in Islamabad, which has gone widely ignored.

Khan's own broad-tent party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, includes powerful business interests that have carved out loopholes for themselves from the climate policies.

"What Pakistan has done, despite resource constraint, is aspirational for many countries," Salam says. But, she adds, "there's so many conflicting interests within the party itself."

The world's fifth most populous country, Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable to global warming. Already, summer temperatures in its southern cities often surpass 120 degrees. Rainfall has grown more erratic, and in August, unprecedented monsoon rains drowned parts of Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, turning roads into rivers and killing dozens of people across the country.

Northern glaciers nestled in mountains are the country's main water source, and they are melting faster than ever. Highland communities now face occasional water shortages and flash flooding that sweeps away their lands. If the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions continues on its present trajectory, the water supply for Pakistan's 220 million people will be imperiled within 50 years, scientists say.

[Riaz Haq]

#Pakistan's 300 MW Chashma 4 #Nuclear Power Plant officially accepted. Chasnupp is home to two #Chinese-supplied 300 MWe PWRs as well: unit 1, in commercial operation since 2000, and unit 2, since 2011.: New Nuclear.
#electricity - World Nuclear News https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Pakistans-Chashma-4-off...

Chashma unit 4 was connected to the grid on 29 June, 2017. The Chinese-supplied pressurised water reactor (PWR) is the second of two CNP-300 units to enter service at the site, following unit 3 which entered commercial operation in December 2016. The Chashma site - also referred to as Chasnupp - is home to two Chinese-supplied 300 MWe PWRs as well: unit 1, in commercial operation since 2000, and unit 2, since 2011.

For the final acceptance ceremony, held at Chashma on 23 September, CNNC set up video connections at construction subsidiary China Zhongyuan Engineering Company's headquarters in Beijing and at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) headquarters in Islamabad. Participants in the ceremony included PAEC Chairman Muhammad Naeem and CNNC President Gu Jun.

CNNC said China and Pakistan have maintained a strong partnership in the nuclear power sector since the two countries signed an agreement in 1986 to facilitate the transfer of civil nuclear technology.

Regarding future cooperation, Gu Jun said: "CNNC will, as always, assist Pakistan in the operation and maintenance of its plants, provide full-life and full-service services, and commit to providing clean, efficient and safe energy to the Pakistani people."

Pakistan also has a 125 MWe Canadian-supplied pressurised heavy water reactor, Karachi unit 1, which has been in commercial operation since 1972. Two 1161 MWe Chinese-supplied Hualong One (HPR1000) plants are under construction as units 2 and 3 of the Karachi plant. Construction of unit 2 began in 2015 and unit 3 in 2016. The units are scheduled for commercial operation in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

In November 2017, CNNC and PAEC signed a cooperation agreement on the construction of a Hualong One reactor as unit 5 of the Chashma plant.

[Riaz Haq]

#Pakistan Plants 500 Million New #Trees in Drive Against Climate Change. The #PTI government's countrywide $760 million reforestation drive is on track to plant more than three billion trees by mid-2023 to mitigate the effects of #ClimateChange.

https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/pakistan-plants-500-million-new-trees-drive-against-climate-change

Aslam noted the tree plantation program is also generating tens of thousands of new employment opportunities and is expected to create about 1.5 million jobs over the next three years when the government will have hit the target of nearly 3.3 billion trees.

“For every dollar you invest in nature, you get nine dollars back. So, you get jobs, you get local employment, you get (a) green economy going,” the minister told VOA.

“Even during the COVID era, we created 84,000 jobs for people who were out of jobs,” he added, referring to the coronavirus pandemic that hit Pakistan in February.

The outbreak prompted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government to introduce nationwide lockdowns to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which has infected at least 315,000 Pakistanis, and resulted in more than 6,500 deaths. New infections, however, have dramatically and steadily declined to several hundred a day since June, encouraging the government to lift all lockdowns.  

Khan spearheaded a reforestation campaign, known as Billion Tree Tsunami, in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Party has been governing since 2013. 

The four-year program restored 350,000 hectares of forests and degraded land, surpassing its 348,400 hectares commitment to the Bonn Challenge and winning Khan international praise for his climate change efforts.

The Bonn Challenge, established in 2011, calls for the restoration of 350 million hectares of deforested and degraded lands by 2030.

Billion Tree Tsunami program

The Billion Tree Tsunami program generated about 500,000 green jobs for men and women in poverty-stricken remote areas of the scenic Pakistani province. It has established a network of private tree nurseries and boosted local incomes.  

The World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P), which monitored and audited the tree-planting effort in KP, reported that the project has been an environmental, economic and social success, with one of the highest survival rates of trees in the world, ranging from 75% to more than 80%.

Officials at the International Union for Conservation of Nature-Pakistan (ICUN-P) hailed the initiative as “a true conservation success story.”

Khan launched the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami program after his party won the July 2018 national election and he became prime minister.

Third-party audit

Last week, the Pakistani government signed an agreement with a consortium of three international organizations for a third-party monitoring and evaluation of the “Ten Billion Tree Tsunami” program from 2020 to 2024.

The consortium comprises WWF-P, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and ICUN-P.

FAO deputy representative Farrukh Toirovi described the program as a historic undertaking by Pakistan.

“This is a project which will benefit not only today the people of Pakistan, but also it will be benefiting the people all around the world and the region, and also for the people of the generations to come,” Toirovi said. "We from FAO are interested in this project so that we can take these lessons from Pakistan and try to use it also in other countries.”

Hammad Khan Naqi, director general of the WWF-Pakistan, explained that his organization will evaluate 30% of the plantation sites, 30% for wildlife conservation and 100% percent of the protected areas across the country.

Pakistani officials say the unprecedented third-party monitoring of a government project will ensure impartial “verification, transparency and accountability” of the massive reforestation drive and of the public funds being spent on it.

Authorities say a key part of the project is to curtail activities of the powerful “timber mafia” that for decades has operated in Pakistan unhindered.  

The KP provincial government effectively dismantled hundreds of illegal sawmills and arrested timber cutters while implementing the ‘Billion Tree Tsunami’ project there, leaving at least two forest guards dead in such encounters and injuring many more.

 

[Riaz Haq]

#Pakistan: Floating #solar panels paired with #hydroelectric dams. LUMS #Lahore researchers floated 200MW panels at 1.45 GW Ghazi Barotha Dam to model if 200 MW floating solar system could replace 1 of the 5 #hydropower units when water levels are low. https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/10/05/floating-pv-paired-with-hydr...

Researchers from the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan have examined the potential to deploy floating PV on a body of water connected to one of the country's hydroelectric dams.

They published their findings in “Complementing hydroelectric power with floating solar PV for daytime peak electricity demand,” which was recently published in Renewable Energy.

Pakistan covers around 30% of its power demand with hydroelectric dams. Some of these facilities are of considerable size, like the Tarbela Dam, which reportedly has 3.5 GW of generating capacity. The University of Lahore scientists modeled the implementation of a floating array at the 1.45 GW Ghazi Barotha Dam, which features five generating units with around 290 MW of capacity each.

To cover daytime peak loads, installing a 200 MW floating system on the dam's reservoir could replace one of the five generating units if water levels are low. The researchers noted that Pakistan suffers frequent outages due to peak load hours during the day. The floating solar plant would work like a peaker plant, they said.


In terms of grid integration, the co-location of floating PV arrays with hydroelectric dams offers the chance to tap into existing infrastructure to cut costs. The scientists compared two approaches. In the first, they connected a floating PV system directly to a 500 kV transmission line system. In the other approach, they added a 132 kV sub-station.

They determined that the cost of connecting a solar PV array to the grid accounts for about 25% of total project costs. However, that shrinks considerably when such projects use the existing infrastructure of hydroelectric dams. With an additional 132 kV substation, the utilization rate can also be ramped up. The scientists suggested that a substation with import and export functions could distribute power more efficiently when a solar array is not generating at full load.

[Riaz Haq]

#Pakistan: Work On Mega Dams Projects Going On A Fast Pace After 5 Decades. Total #water storage capacity of these dams is about 8.7 million-acre-feet (MAF). Diamer Bhasha #dam would add 35 years of life to Tarbela dam by cutting sedimentation- UrduPoint https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/work-on-mega-dams-projects-go...


"We can save this water by increasing storage capacity and bring virgin land under cultivation, said Indus River System Authority Chairman Rao Irshad Ali Khan.� He was of the view that�construction of mega dams including Diamer Basha and Mohmand would enable Pakistan to streamline its off-set�water induced variations in water flow.

The Diamer Bhasha dam would add 35 years to the life of� Tarbela dam by reducing sedimentation, he said.� According to Chairman WAPDA Gen retired Muzammil Hussain both the dams would be with cumulative gross water storage capacity of 9.3 million acre feet (MAF) and electricity generation capacity of 5300 mega watts (MW).� He said that Diamer Bhasha Dam was a multi-purpose project aimed at water storage, flood mitigation and power generation.

The project would be constructed across River Indus about 40-kilometer downstream of Chillas town. The 272-meter high Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) Dam would have a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre feet (MAF).

The project will generate 4500 MW of electricity with annual energy generation of more than 18 billion units of low-cost and environment friendly electricity.With construction of Diamer Basha Dam Project, the life of Tarbela Dam will be enhanced to another�35 years.

It will also have a positive impact on the annual energy generation of the projects in the downstream areas.

Regarding Mohmand Dam, the WAPDA chairman said that the work on the construction of the dam was going on fast track and would be completed by 2024.

�"The project is of immense importance and it will store 1.2 million acre feet (MAF) of�water�for irrigated agriculture, help mitigate floods in Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera and generate 800 mega watt (MW) of green and clean energy.

�The Spokesperson WAPDA told APP that Diamer Bhasha Dam Project would stimulate economic activities in the far-flung and� backward areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, providing as many as 16550 job opportunities to the� locals and Pakistani engineers, he added.

He said that construction of the dam would help bring as many as 1.23 million acres of� additional land under cultivation, following which annual agricultural benefits of the� project had been estimated at Rs. 279 billion.Meanwhile, the Federal government is also providing funds for construction of 60 small, medium,�large and delayed action/recharge dam projects in the country through the Federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) aimed at providing water for irrigation/ agriculture, and drinking purposes.

The accumulative live storage capacity of these dams is about 8,683,699 Acre-feet. As many as 17 dams projects are likely to be completed during the current fiscal year and they are small dams in Tehsil Dobandi, Gulistan Killa, Bhundaro storage dam, Dosi dam Pasni, Darah dam Khuzadar, Mangi dam Quetta, Mara Tangi dam Loralai, Tuk dam Tehsil Wadh, Anjeeri dam Nushko, Azdhakhoi dam, Baghi dam Naushki, delay actions dams in Siaro Hazar Ganji Nal, small dam at Sardari Goz Darkhalo, small dam Kunji Ferzabad, and Sukleji dam etc.

During last decade, WAPDA had completed Mangla Dam Raising(2.88 MAF), Gomal Zam Dam (0.892 MAF), Satpara Dam(0.053 MAF) and Darawat Dam (0.089 MAF) to store water.

WAPDA is also planning to construct Kurram Tangi Dam Stage-II (0.90 MAF), Chiniot Dam (0.85 MAF), Shyok Dam (5.0 MAF), Akhori Dam (6.0 MAF), Dudhnial Dam (1.00 MAF), Skardu Dam (3.20 MAF) and Sindh Barrage (2.00 MAF) to cope with the issues of water shortage in the country.

[Riaz Haq]

Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan has said that the government has planned to transform the outlook of the energy market under the new Alternative Renewable Energy Policy.

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/11/06/govt-plans-to-transf...

The minister said this while talking to Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan Lis Rosenholm on Friday. Tabish Gauhar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Power, was also present on the occasion.

During the meeting, the outlook of the emerging market of the sector and business opportunities in view of the newly approved Alternative Energy Policy were discussed.

Acknowledging the lead role of Denmark in clean and green energy at global level, the minister said that Pakistan too is embarked upon tapping the huge indigenous potential of renewable energy. He said that Pakistan’s New Renewable Energy Policy would bring opportunities for investors due to transparent policies of the incumbent government.

He said that the government had set ambitious targets to introduce 25pc renewable energy by 2025, and 30pc by end of 2030, including 45pc share of hydel power generation and 10pc of nuclear energy into the energy mix of the country.

While explaining the investment potential in the power sector, the minister said that the government would induct renewable energy-based power plants through open and transparent competitive bidding process, which would lower the cost of production of electricity.

He also apprised the envoy that the government had prepared the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2047 for competitive market structure, generation, up-gradation of transmission, Smart AMI and modernization of distribution system.

The minister further informed that lowering of electricity cost for industries and establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) would boost economic activity besides creating thousands of new jobs in the country.

The Danish ambassador, while appreciating the government’s commitment to raise the share of renewable clean and green energy, said that the new policy is more transparent as it provides a level playing field for all. She suggested setting up a joint energy platform to study the market, so that Danish companies would closely follow developments in the field of renewable energy and they could participate in the competitive process of renewable energy projects.

[Riaz Haq]

Energy crisis have devastated Pakistan’s economy through the country’s energy sector offered investment opportunities of over $100 billion a government estimate said. This included about $45 billion in power generation, $20 billion in transmission and $15-20 billion in distribution

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/739524-govt-set-to-expedite-foreig...

The NCC-FFP reviewed progress of the development projects of power sector funded by ADB (Asian Development Bank), WB World Bank), IsDB (Islamic Development Bank), Japan, France, Germany and the USA” a statement said.

At present, 14 foreign-funded projects including power generation, transmission and distribution amounting to $3.418 billion are under implementation. “The purpose of high-level meeting was to track physical and financial progress and identify issues and bottlenecks hampering smooth implementation of foreign-funded projects in power sector,” the statement quoted Bakhtyar as saying. Bakhtyar said the government is focusing on energy sector reforms and energy efficiency through development of renewable and clean energy at affordable prices, reliable transmission system and improved distribution network.

Energy crisis have devastated Pakistan’s economy through the country’s energy sector offered investment opportunities of over $100 billion a government estimate said. This included about $45 billion in power generation, $20 billion in transmission and $15-20 billion in distribution

Energy minister Khan directed the line departments of power division to fast track implementation of the projects and prompt redressal of issues for expeditious execution of projects in energy sector. “He especially emphasized on the major problematic projects including Jamshoro Power Generation Project, Advance Metering Infrastructure and CASA 1000 & Other Transmission Lines and set the timelines to resolve the bottlenecks.”

Both ministers agreed to hold follow-up meeting of National Coordination Committee on Energy sector in next month.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan constituted the high-level “National Coordination Committee on Foreign-Funded Projects” in order to fast track the disbursement & implementation of external economic assistance.

Ministry of economic affairs was assigned to convene the meetings of this committee and submit a progress report to Prime Minister on monthly basis. Minister Bakhtyar would be chairperson of the committee. Deputy chairman, Planning Commission, secretary EAD, representatives of PM’s Office, finance division and provincial P&D departments and boards of revenues also attended the meeting.

[Riaz Haq]

Major work on 886km Matiari-Lahore transmission line completed

https://www.dawn.com/news/1587725

Pakistan’s first and mega High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) project — Matiari-Lahore transmission line — has almost been completed as engineers finished the entire line stringing work besides energising the converter station near Lahore.

The project, launched under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has now officially entered the testing and commissioning phase that is likely to complete by December this year, Dawn has learnt.

“We have completed all major works (civil, electrical, mechanical, erection etc) of the 886km transmission line. After completion, the project has officially entered a new stage of energised DC (direct current) commissioning,” Mr. Wang Bo, Deputy CEO of Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Company, which is responsible for the construction and operation of the project, told Dawn.

“Within a week of the completion of the transmission line, we have also completed the commissioning of the Lahore Converter Station/DC system (energising amid achieving of 660kV voltages) built near Lahore, marking the beginning of a new era of DC transmission in Pakistan’s power industry. This is a remarkable achievement,” he added.

“Moreover, the converter station built at Matiari is set to be energised on November 1.”

The $1.68 billion project is the first HVDC project in the country and the second in the entire world. Comparing it with all the power transmission projects in the country, it has the highest voltage level as it is also the most technically sophisticated and most difficult one in terms of construction.

The work on the line was officially launched in December, 2018 across Sindh and Punjab. The transmission line was divided into eight lots, crossing desert, farmland, rivers, military area, national park, wildlife reserves gas pipelines, railways, highways, and several 500kV, 220kV, 132kV transmission lines on the way.

The project will evacuate 4,000MW power from plants in south to urban load centres in Punjab. The power generation projects from where the Matiari-Lahore HVDC line will evacuate power included 1,320MW Shanghai Electric, 660MW Thar Engro, 2200MW K-II and K-III and 1,320MW Port Qasim plants.

“The whole line has total 2,362 tower foundations, weighing more than 71,000 tonnes and consisting 220,000 cubic meters concrete and 17,000 tonnes of steel bars. For the first time in Pakistan, the four-split 1,250 square millimeter large-section conductor was used. The total quantity of conductor is about 28,000 tonnes. The workload has set a new record in the field of power transmission in Pakistan,” Mr Bo explained.

“They constantly kept optimising the construction methodology and adjusting the construction plan, making the best of utilising local resources, actively adopting innovative construction methods such as using drones for stringing, stringing cross live line with isolation nets etc. We managed to achieve the record high of complete 209km of UHV (ultra high voltage) transmission line in one month,” he maintained.