ISLAMABAD – Iran can become a major energy exporter for Pakistan which can get up to 3,000MW of electricity from its western neighbour, official documents claim.
According to the Foreign Office (FO), Pakistan currently imports 74MW of electricity from Iran for its coastal Makran division. This import will be increased to 100MW this month. The two countries are considering another two projects, involving import of 1,000MW and 100MW of power.
However, Iran has the potential to increase its electricity export to 3,000MW to energy-starved Pakistan, the FO said in a written reply placed before the Senate on Friday.
The document said the two countries are in the process of finalising the deal for construction of phase-1 of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. In the first phase of this much awaited project, a pipeline will be laid from Gwadar in Balochistan to Nawabshah in Sindh.
In the second phase, Pakistan will work on the 80km long portion of the pipeline linking it with Iranian border. The second phase depends upon lifting of international sanctions on Iran.
The FO further said both the countries have also agreed to set up two additional crossing points – Mand-Pishin and Gadb-Reemdan – at the border. The crossing point at Gadb-Reemdan will reduce distance between Pakistan’s under-construction Gwadar deep-sea port to Iran’s Chabahar.
