December 06, 2022 (MLN): There is a dire need to generate cheap electricity as the energy import bill exorbitantly reached $27 billion, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Monday while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the refurbishment project of Units 5 and 6 of the Mangla Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant.
This ceremony was carried out with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“Pakistan is already facing immense economic instability, and it could not bear the heavy costs of energy import bills thus country needed to utilize alternative sources of electricity production”, Prime Minister said.
He further highlighted that if the country’s water reservoirs were built on time, the country’s energy import bill would not have swelled to $27bn.
He also pointed out that powerful lobbies and cartels did not let materialize the construction of dams and the launch of solar power projects.
"In the wake of recent flash floods in the country, dams were crucial to mitigate the effects of climate change", he added.
The PM termed the assistance of USAID for the refurbishment of the units of Mangla dam as a “wonderful example of cooperation” between Pakistan and the United States.
He praised the valuable grant of $150 million by USAID along with the financial support by the Development Agency of France amounting to 90mn euros besides another pledge of 65mn euros.
In addition, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) contributed $178mn (Rs20 billion) from its own resources, he said.
During the conference, US Ambassador Donald Blome said the Mangla dam is a great symbol of US-Pak cooperation and the US is also assisting WAPDA in increasing the power generation capacity of the Tarbela and Gomal Zam dams.
He further added that the maintenance and upgradation of dams is also most important in the wake of climate change.
The General Electric Hydro France Project Director said despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the suspended projects of refurbishment were carried out effectively.
Also, six more units of Mangla dam will be refurbished in the future, he added.
During the event, Chairman WAPDA Lt Gen (retd) Sajjad Ghani added that the refurbishment of the units of Mangla dam is in line with the keen interest of the federal government to provide clean, green, and cheap energy to the people of the country.
Moreover, WAPDA is upgrading its existing hydel power stations including Mangla to maximize the ratio of environment-friendly and low-cost hydel electricity in the national grid.
Copyright Mettis Link News
Posted on: 2022-12-06T09:34:55+05:00
