Evaluating Power Requirements within Gwadar Free Zone
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal, responsible for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, recently urged the China Overseas Ports Holding Company Ltd (COPHCL) to furnish precise electricity demand figures for the Gwadar Free Zone. He also called for a 10-year electricity consumption plan by the Gwadar Free Zone Company to facilitate the establishment of a 300-MW Coal Fired Power Project in Gwadar.
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal, responsible for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, recently urged the China Overseas Ports Holding Company Ltd (COPHCL) to furnish precise electricity demand figures for the Gwadar Free Zone. He also called for a 10-year electricity consumption plan by the Gwadar Free Zone Company to facilitate the establishment of a 300-MW Coal Fired Power Project in Gwadar.
Iqbal conveyed these directives during a meeting to assess the progress of the 300-MW Coal Fired Power Project. The meeting included key attendees such as the chairman of COPHCL, the chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), and other stakeholders.
Initiated as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2016, this project is expected to serve approximately 150,000 local residents by the close of 2023. Its primary objective is to enhance the reliability of local power supply, thereby addressing existing constraints on economic development and urban construction in Gwadar due to power shortages. Minister Iqbal emphasized the government's commitment to supplying electricity to the Gwadar Free Zone while underscoring the importance of COPHCL specifying the precise electricity requirements to prevent future capacity issues.
It's worth noting that a multitude of significant CPEC projects in Gwadar, including the Gwadar Power Plant, the New Gwadar International Airport Project, the China-Pak Friendship Hospital, China-Pak Technical and Vocational Institute in Gwadar, the Gwadar East-bay Expressway Project, Gwadar Free Zone, and Gwadar Port, are poised to transform the region into a thriving economic hub.
Minister Iqbal also disclosed that the government is actively progressing with a project involving two transmission lines from Iran, which will further increase electricity demand. Acknowledging the existing energy crisis in the country, he stressed the importance of determining the exact electricity requirements to ensure the successful execution of this project. He urged the Chinese company to provide a comprehensive long-term plan for electricity consumption in the Gwadar Free Zone.
The current government, which assumed power in April, has prioritized the revival of all CPEC projects, reinstating them after they were halted by the previous administration.