PESHAWAR
Secretary Energy & Power KP Nisar Ahmad Khan has said that Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), a profitable organization of the province has implemented various hydropower projects at the cost of Rs.9 billion and in return has earned a profit of more than Rs.32 billion so far.
He expressed these views in a high-level briefing given at PEDO House after taking charge as Secretary Energy and Power, said an official handout issued here on Tuesday.
The most important institution like PEDO will be made the developed institution of the province with the support of experts with the highest income generated entity of 50 billion rupees.
Chief Executive PEDO Engineer Naeem Khan while giving a detailed briefing said that currently 42 projects of transmission lines, hydro, solar power are under construction under the supervision of PEDO and so far 7 hydropower projects successfully completed, which are collectively generating 161 MW of electricity.
He said that the province is receiving an annual receipt of more than 4 billion rupees from these hydropower projects, while 7 projects including 84 MW Matiltan Swat, 69 MW Lawi Chitral, 40.8 MW Koto Dir, 11.8 MW Krora Shangla, 10.2 MW Jabori Mansehra, 10.5 MW Chapri Charkhel Kuram and 6.5 MW Barandu Tor Gar projects are rapidly progressing.
These ongoing projects on completion will collectively generate 232.8 megawatts of electricity, from which the province will have an annual income of more than 9 billion rupees. Most of these projects are in the final stages of completion.
Furthermore, work on the solarization of 4,400 mosques, 8,000 schools, 187 primary health units is also in progress. The completion of solar energy projects will save the province billions of rupees annually in terms of electricity bills.
In the second phase, 291 mini micro-hydrol stations are also being constructed in backward areas and will produce 41MW of electricity. Similarly, he said that work on several energy projects is also in progress under private investment including donor agencies World Bank, Asian Development Bank etc.
He said that cheap electricity produced by the hydropower projects is being sold to the industrial sector through the wheeling model and a target of generating 1,000 megawatts of cheap electricity has been set in the next 10 years.
In addition, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transmission and Grid Company (KPT&GC) for the first time was established to improve the electricity system in the province and enable the delivery of its own electricity. The administrative structure of the new company is progressing rapidly.
Several energy projects have also been successfully completed in the newly merged tribal districts of the province, which has improved the electricity transmission system there.
Lastly, Secretary Power Nisar Khan has assured that issues with the Federal government related to various power projects will be resolved on a priority basis at high-level forums.
