IDB, Pakistan ink $60m power deal

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has signed a $60 million lease finance deal with Pakistan for the development of the Patrind Hydropower Project. The agreement was signed by Ahmed Al-Hariri, manager, country operations division, Southeast Asia and Farouk Javed, CEO, Star Hydropower Limited in Islamabad. The power plant is expected to be completed by 2016 and add 147 MW of power to the country’s national grid, helping the Muslim country increase utilization of its renewable resources and generate power in an economically sustainable manner to reduce dependency on imported fuel. “The project represents 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. After 30 years concession period the project will be handed over to the government of Pakistan,” a statement on the South Asian News Agency (SANA) said. According to data from the IDB, Pakistan is the second-largest beneficiary of IDB financing. Since the bank’s inception in the mid-1970’s the multi-lender has committed $7.6 billion including 85 projects worth $2.2 billion mainly in the transportation and power-generation sectors to the country, Arab News quoted the agency as reporting.