Karot Hydropower Plant, the first hydropower investment project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was successfully put into full commercial operations on Wednesday.
Speaking at a ceremony held at the plant to celebrate the achievement, Wu Shengliang, chairman of the China Three Gorges International Corporation, said the project serves as a bridge of friendship between China and Pakistan. He congratulated the team on their hard work and praised the project as a success story for both countries.
The start of commercial operations for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC) energy projects is the latest outcome of the construction process, according to a representative of the Chinese company overseeing the project.
The CPEC project, located 55km away from Islamabad, is constructed by the China Three Gorges Corporation, with an installed capacity of 720,000 kilowatts. According to a handout by the project, the plant will reduce 3.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year, and meet the power demand of about 5 million people.
Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, remarked that the Karot hydropower plant project would not only meet the electricity needs of around 5 million local residents, but also improve Pakistan’s energy structure.
“It will boost the country’s sustainable development,” Zhao said in answer to a question about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the project site last week. “The Karot hydropower plant is a major energy cooperation project between China and Pakistan.”
PM Shehbaz spoke to the engineers and workers at the project site during the visit. “Once all units are installed and put into operation, the project will help meet the electricity needs of approximately 5 million local residents,” he added.
