Powering Progress: Iranian Company's Gwadar Transmission Line Project
Sunir, an Iranian firm, has inked a deal to construct an electricity transmission line connecting Iran to Pakistan's coastal city, Gwadar. The agreement, confirmed by Pakistan's Ministry of Energy (Power Division) on Wednesday, outlines Sunir's role in establishing this vital power link between Polan and Gwadar in Balochistan. Specific details such as the project's total cost and completion timeline have not yet been disclosed by Pakistan's Power Division.
Sunir, an Iranian firm, has inked a deal to construct an electricity transmission line connecting Iran to Pakistan's coastal city, Gwadar. The agreement, confirmed by Pakistan's Ministry of Energy (Power Division) on Wednesday, outlines Sunir's role in establishing this vital power link between Polan and Gwadar in Balochistan. Specific details such as the project's total cost and completion timeline have not yet been disclosed by Pakistan's Power Division.
Recently, Pakistan and Iran collaborated to provide an additional 100 megawatts of electricity to meet Gwadar's daily power demands. Pakistan's National Transmission and Despatch Company and Iran's TAVANIR, a power generation and distribution company, finalized this agreement. Federal Minister for Power, Khurram Dastgir Khan, who embarked on a four-day visit to Tehran in June 2022 to strengthen energy cooperation, expressed a commitment to expedite this project, aiming to provide swift relief to Balochistan's residents.
Notably, Iran has been supplying electricity to Gwadar, Kech, and Panjgur districts in southwestern Balochistan since 1999. The initial supply of 35MW per day increased to 100MW in 2013 due to growing demand. In May 2022, Iran provided 54.52 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of power, accounting for 0.37 percent of the total electricity generation. The cost of one unit of Iranian electricity stands at Rs18.9673 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
On June 20th, Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan held a bilateral meeting with Iran's Minister for Energy, Ali Akbari Mehrabian, in Tehran. The focus was on enhancing energy cooperation between the neighboring countries. Discussions revolved around electricity supply from Polan to Gwadar, encompassing both short-term and long-term energy plans.
It's crucial to note that Gwadar remains disconnected from the national grid, relying on neighboring Iran for its power supply. This reliance is of paramount significance, considering Gwadar's pivotal role in the $65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).