Govt giving top priority to overcome electricity shortage: PM
Source : OnlineNews.com Date : 03-06-2014
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SAHIWAL: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says the government is giving top priority to overcome the electricity shortage and twenty one thousand megawatt of electricity will be added to the national grid in the next seven to eight years.
He was addressing a ceremony after laying foundation stone of two coal based power projects of 660 each in Sahiwal.
He said we inherited the electricity shortage amongst many other challenges but now the government is working day and night to overcome them.
Nawaz Sharif said foundation stone of two coal power projects of 660 megawatt each have recently been laid in Port Qasim. Nandi Pur power project will be inaugurated tomorrow.
Appreciating the Chinese assistance in different projects, Nawaz Sharif said both the countries have agreed to construct Pakistan-China Economic corridor which will prove a game changer for both the countries. It will envisage construction of highway from Kashgar to Gwadar which is almost about two thousand seven hundred kilometers. Special economic zones will be built along this corridor.
Nawaz Sharif said development of Gwadar and Gwadar port will be also be undertaken by the government. A modern airport will also be established at Gwadar.
Addressing the ceremony, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said agreements have been signed with China for generation of twenty thousand megawatt of electricity in the next seven years.
He said more power plants will be installed in the province to meet the energy shortfall to steer it out of darkness.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif performed the ground breaking of two coal based power plants having the capacity to generate 1320 megawatt in Sahiwal today [Friday].
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, federal and provincial ministers were also present on the occasion.
Earlier, addressing the ceremony, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said agreements have been signed with China for generation of twenty thousand megawatt of electricity in the next seven years.
He said more power plants will be installed in the province to meet the energy shortfall to steer it out of darkness.
The Shahiwal power plants will be established with the Chinese assistance at a cost 158 billion rupees.
The project has a total capacity of 425 megawatts and it would be completed by December this year at a cost of 574 million dollars.
The project is being executed by China Don Fang Electric Corporation.