PESHAWAR: The Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) has successfully completed various hydropower projects at a cost of Rs9 billion and has earned over Rs32 billion for the province.
Briefing the media on ongoing projects, Secretary Energy and Power Nisar Ahmad Khan, said that several projects of PEDO have entered the final stage of completion. After completion, Khan said, these projects are expected to generate over Rs10 billion in revenue for the province. He said that the current security situation including closure of Letter of Credit (LCs), increase in taxes on import of machinery for hydropower and solar energy projects is a “matter of concern”.
Chief Executive PEDO Engineer Naeem Khan said that under the supervision of PEDO, work is underway on 42 energy projects of transmission line including hydro and solar power. He said that PEDO has successfully completed eight hydropower projects so far, which is generating a total of 172 megawatts of electricity from which the province is earning an annual income of Rs4 billion.
Meanwhile, he said work on 6 projects including 84MW Mittaltan Swat, 69MW Lavi in Chitral, 40.8MW Koto in Dir, 11.8MW Karora in Shangla, 10.5MW Chapri Charkhel in Kalam and 6.5MW Barando Torghar projects are underway, from which a total of 232.8MW electricity would be generated, which will generate Rs10 billion per year to the province.
The official said that most of these projects are in the final stages of completion. Similarly, work is underway on solarisation of 4,400 mosques, 8,000 schools, 187 basic health centers across the province. He added that solar energy projects are saving million of rupees annually in term of electricity bills.
In the second phase, Naeem Khan said, 291 mini micro-hydro stations are also being constructed in areas deprived of electricity, from which a total of 41 megawatts of electricity will be generated. Khan informed that a number of power projects have also been successfully completed in the merged tribal districts of the province, which has improved the power transmission system to a great extent.
