Loadshedding to be a thing of past by year’s end

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday said the government would end power load-shedding in the country by the end of year, and complete ongoing power projects by next June.
Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of the C-4,
the Prime Minister said his government was committed to end
electricity load-shedding and would add 10,000 MW to the
national grid by end of its term.
He said C-4 was a step forward for the PAEC in achieving
its target of adding 8800 MW to the national grid by the year
2020.
The Prime Minister said his government would fulfill the
target, given by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to the PAEC.
He said the C-4 project started injecting power into the
national grid only after a period of eight months since the
operationalisation of C-3, and termed it a matter of pride for
the entire nation. The three power units of Chasma were providing
900 MW of less expensive electricity, he added.
He said “The power supply situation today is much better
in the country as compared to few years back.”
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi recalled that the
government of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was in
power when Pakistan entered into an agreement with China for
construction of Chasma’s Unit One project and termed it the
foundation for a strong Pakistan-China cooperation in civil
nuclear power projects.
He said Pakistan has put in place a reliable nuclear
power project and it was being ensured that all these projects
fully complied with the safeguards of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA). All future nuclear power plants are also
being constructed under the same guidelines, he added.
He said three nuclear power projects were already
operational and were providing less expensive electricity.
He pointed that it was a matter of satisfaction that K-2
and K-3 power plants in Karachi were being completed at a fast
pace, and would provide less expensive and clean energy.
He said Pakistan was proud to indigenously operate the
plamts under the Karachi Nuclear Power Project for four decades
without any foreign assistance.
The Prime Minister lauded the contributions of the
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in power generation,
health and agriculture. He said Pakistan earned precious
foreign exchange through cotton crop, while 18 cancer
hospitals were providing quality healthcare to people.
Shahid Khaqan also appreciated the cooperation of
China in civil nuclear power generation projects and urged
the Chinese companies to invest more in nuclear power
projects.
“Our government has initiated large projects with
China under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and its
benefits are having a trickledown effect” he added.
He said progress was visible on projects of roads,
Thar coal and Gwadar, while GDP has risen to over 5 per
cent and hoped it would be 6 percent next year.
The government, he said, was desirous of greater
participation of the private sector in the CPEC projects.
He said the Chinese government has also showed its keen
interest in injecting more funds in various projects.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi thanked the
Government of China, EXIM Bank of China and China Atomic
Energy Commission for its support in making Pakistan
self-sufficient in electricity.
The event was attended by Interior Minister Ahsan
Iqbal, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher
Ali, Chairman PAEC Mohammad Naeem, Chinese ambassador
Sun We Dong, DG SPD Lt Gen Mazhar Naveed and Member
Power PAEC Syed Yousaf Raza, representatives of the
Chinese companies and senior officials.

Source: APP