Two 245 megawatt hydropower projects in the Swat district will be funded by the World Bank this year. According to a statement released, the program will bring in more than Rs13 billion per year for the province.
The projects were addressed during a meeting between the provincial energy and power secretary Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah and a delegation of the World Bank Mission led by senior energy specialist Mohammad Saqib.
The other participants included chief executive officer of the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation Naeem Khan, KHRE programme chief engineer Shah Hussain, Gabral Kalam power project director Asif Kamal, Maiden power project director Mustafa Kamal and feasibility studies and management project director Mohammad Faraz.
The meeting was informed that two hydropower projects in the Swat district would begin construction this year with financial support from the World Bank to help the province’s energy sector grow. They consist of the hydropower plants Maiden (157 MW) and Gabral Kalam (88 MW).
The World Bank and the provincial government have agreed to a $450 million deal for the reason. By the time the projects are finished in 2027, the province will have a yearly income of more than Rs13 billion.
Power Secretary Imtiaz Hussain Shah expressed his appreciation for the World Bank’s efforts to finance the growth of the province’s energy sector during the meeting and expressed his hope that foreign investment would flow into the province from the above said projects, which would be beneficial to the province.
Pedo chief executive Naeem Khan assured the World Bank delegates that he would do his best to resolve problems regarding energy projects, especially land acquisition.
