Suki Kinari Venture: A CPEC Early Achievement Project Set to Inject 870 MW into Pakistan's Power Grid, Enabling 3,000 Local Job Opportunities
The Suki Kinari Hydro-power project is set to revolutionize the region, providing a multifaceted solution to long-standing challenges. By averting floods, irrigating vast farmlands, generating a staggering 2.86 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually, and supplying local residents with 140 million cubic meters of clean drinking water per year, it promises to transform the lives of the community.
Initiated by Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) in December 2016, this project is on track for completion by 2022, marking a significant milestone in improving local livelihoods, as reported by Gwadar Pro app media network.
Nestled in KPK, the Suki Kinari undertaking stands as a flagship project within the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), emerging as the largest private sector initiative in Pakistan. As a pivotal component of CPEC's Early Harvest projects, it is expected to inject a robust 870 MW into Pakistan's power grid.
The estimated price tag for this transformative endeavor is USD 1.9 billion, projected to yield a monumental 3.081 billion MW of power. Beyond its electrifying impact, the project is poised to serve as a significant source of employment for over 3000 individuals, with approximately 6,000 jobs generated during the peak construction phase.
Moreover, the project's procurement strategy promotes local trade, with materials such as cement, reinforcement, aggregate, diesel, and explosives sourced from the Pakistani market, further benefiting the community. Additionally, the construction of seven bridges spanning the Kunhar River from Nalan to Paras serves as a gift to societal welfare.
Notably, Pakistan's hydropower landscape boasts other noteworthy projects, including the Neelum-Jhelum project, the Dasu project, and the Suki Kinari project. The Kunhar River, which begins its journey and flows through Pakistani territory, offers a consistent and reliable source of power generation throughout its lifespan.
The potential for harnessing energy from the Kunhar River was initially identified around 1960 when US consultants were engaged by WAPDA to explore this potential. In January 1960, they issued a report titled "Kunhar River Project-Kaghan Valley." Subsequent studies in 1984 and 1995 aimed to optimize the river's latent energy, identifying prospective sites like Batakundi, Naran, Suki Kinari, Balakot, and Patrind for run-of-the-river hydro projects.
Chinese engineers emphasize the run-of-the-river concept, where water is drawn from the river and channeled to turbines in a downstream Powerhouse via tunnels. After powering the turbines and generating energy, the water is returned to the river, making it available for yet another downstream energy generation setup—an ingenious process known as cascading.