SAHIWAL, May 25 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif
Thursday inaugurated the first unit of Sahiwal Coal Power Project to
add 660 megawatt of electricity to the national grid.
The prime minister, who was accompanied by Punjab Chief
Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Governor Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana,
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq and State Minister for
Water and Power Abid Sher Ali unveiled the plaque of the project.
With a total capacity of 1320 megawatt, the project comprised
two coal-based power plants with capacity of 660 MW each. This is one
of the early harvest projects of China Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC).
The prime minister also visited the Control Room and different
portions of the power plant wherein the Chinese engineers briefed
him about the functioning of the plant.
The project has been completed in a record period, six months
ahead of the prescribed schedule, as the prime minister had launched
work on the project on May 30, 2014.
Executed by M/s Huaneng Shandong Ruyi Pakistan Energy Private
Limited, the project had already been connected to the national grid
since May 12, this year.
The power plant is expected to start generating 1320 MW from
first week of June this year which would also be six months before
the planned schedule.
Built as a latest state of the art technology Supercritical
Coal Fired Power Project, the power plant was is environmentally
compliant with high thermal efficiency to ensure low fuel
consumption.
The power generation from the project is expected to exceed 9
billion kWh, which would significantly contribute in alleviating
energy crisis in the country. The project will produce electricity
at with a levelized tariff of Rs 8.11/unit.
The Punjab government had extended loan facility to Pakistan
Railways for construction of spur line from nearest railway station
to the project site and coal was being successfully transported to
the project site.
Around 190 Pakistani young engineers trained in China have
been employed for plant operations.
