ISLAMABAD: The delayed projects of 2100MW have been completed since June 2013 and as many as 13,000MW additional electricity would be added to the national grid by 2017.
The official sources told APP Thursday, when the PML-N government came into power, electricity shortage was 7000 MW in the country and the government setup the target to add 21000MW electricity to national grid within the next 8 to 10 years and launched many power generation projects.
The government has evolved an effective anti-power load shedding strategy for giving maximum relief to the people. They said to solve the energy crisis in country and provides better energy facilities to common man, the government laid the foundation stone of a 1,223 megawatt power project in Balloki, at Port Qasim and 10 coal-fired power projects with a capacity of 660 MW each at Gadani.
Similarly, as many as 3500 MW electricity would be generated from the Diamer Bashah Dam in GilgitBaldistan and 969 MW from Neelum-Jhelum power project next year. Nandipur Thermal Power Project has been completed a long time ago and successfully adding 425 MW in the system.
The sources said expansion work on Tarbela 4th and 5th projects would be completed in 2017 with total production of 2760 MW power. They said Uch power plant 404 MW along with independent power plant at Dera Murad Jamali have been constructed which would add an aggregate of 990 MW electricity to the national grid.
Diamer-Basha and Dasu dams are under construction and will add 9000 MW in the future. Regarding the Balloki Power Plant, they said it would work with the 61.63 per cent working capacity which is higher than existing power plants.
The cost of generation of per megawatts from the plant would be $469,000, which is lower than other power plants, they said. The sources said owing to transparent international bidding and tender process by the government, the foreign power companies showed great confidence and gave low cost estimates for setting up of new projects.
Baloki power project is set to start its generation from 2017, will provide cheaper electricity to public and also generate new job opportunities for the industrial and agricultural development.
