New transmission project under CPEC to improve Pakistan's electricity supply: PM

Islamabad (Pakistan), October 1: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that the ±660kV Matiari-Lahore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will help the country reduce wastage of electricity and bring down its price.
Addressing the commercial operation ceremony of the transmission project, Khan said the project met an urgent need of his country as Pakistan lost a lot of electricity every year due to poor and old transmission lines.
Due to electricity wastage, the government was unable to supply the maximum possible electricity to the Pakistani people despite producing it as it got vanished in the way, he said, adding that the project through its state-of-the-art transmission lines will help the country further overcome the load-shedding problem.
The money saved from better transmission lines will give a direct and quick benefit to the public, he added.
Speaking of CPEC, he said that CPEC projects are running at full swing, and it is quickly moving towards the industrial cooperation which will help the country in wealth creation.
Through CPEC the country will also enhance the agriculture sector by introducing modern machinery and new technology, the prime minister said.
On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong said the commercial operation of the CPEC transmission project marked a milestone for energy cooperation between China and Pakistan.
The project will improve the safety and reliability of the Pakistani grid system, optimize energy distribution in the entire country, connect the southern and northern grids with stronger ties, and lower the electricity cost, Nong added.
The Matiari-Lahore transmission project was invested, constructed and is being operated by the State Grid Corporation of China. The construction started in December 2018, and around 7,000 jobs had been created for the locals during the construction period.
The commercial operation of the project started in early September of this year. The project has the maximum capacity to transmit electricity of 35 billion kilowatt-hours annually.
Source: Xinhua