ISLAMABAD: A Chinese company has showed its interest to invest $50 billion in Pakistan’s energy sector.
The China Three Gorges Corporation is willing to invest in about eight hydroelectric power projects, out of which, 4,500 megawatts Diamer-Bhasha dam is the biggest project, which will require an estimated $15 billion.
The projects were discussed during a meeting between a delegation of the Chinese company, led by its Chief Executive Qin Guo Bin, and Federal Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
China Three Gorges owns and operates the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric power project with a generation capacity of 22,500MW.
Apart from Diamer-Bhasha, Bunji, Thakot, Munda and other hydroelectric power projects with a capacity of 35,000MW came up for review.
As per the studies conducted by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), Pakistan has the potential to produce up to 60,000MW of hydroelectric power. Of this, 40,000MW can be generated in a region called the Indus cascade, which begins in Skardu (Gilgit-Baltistan) and runs through to Tarbela, the site of Pakistan’s biggest dam in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. However, so far only 6,919MW has been tapped.
