KP Govt To Initiate 1200 MW Power Projects By June 2018

ISLAMABAD, Jan 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Jan, 2017 ) : Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government was planning to initiate various projects in hydro power sector to produce over 1200 MW of electricity before the end of current tenure of the provincial government, KP Minister for Energy Muhammad Atif said.

"Out of 1200 MW power projects, six projects of 668 MW had recently been advertised to attract private sector investment, and for this, 56 private companies applied while 32 companies had been shortlisted to award the projects by February 10," Muhammad Atif said while addressing a dinner hosted by Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) here Monday.

Chief Executive Officer of PEDO, Akbar Ayub Khan said the government had identified various projects of 3900 MW in the province for which an investment of $12 billion would be required. "So far we have received overwhelming response from local and foreign investors to start the projects", he added.

He said out of 1200 MW power projects, 668 MW projects would be initiated with the support of private sector while the rest would be started by the public sector. He said currently 214 MW power projects were under construction and they were on various stages of construction.

Later chief guest of the event, Imran Khan, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) said the province had a potential of producing 40,000 MW of clean and cheap hydro energy. He expressed his resolve to exploit this huge energy potential and assured the PEDO of KP government's full support in this regard.

He said governance in the province had been improved to a great extent which would help further attracting specially foreign investment to the province. PTI leaders, Jehangir Khan Tareen, Asad Umar, Chief Executive Officer of Descon Engineering, Abdul Razzaq Daud and Secretary ministry of energy, Naeem Khan also spoke on the occasion.