ISLAMABAD - Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA) has asked the government of Pakistan to give guarantees for 21,690MW power projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Zhang Yuqing, vice-administer NEA, asked for guarantees on Tuesday during the first meeting of Energy Planning Working Group of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) held at a local hotel.
Yuqing during his presentation raised six points, including joint planning, planning working group, time schedule for the projects, planning guarantee mechanism in accordance with policy regularity law and mechanism, and intergovernmental agreement to guarantee execution of the projects.
The working group was co-chaired by Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal along with Zhang Yuqing.
The secretary ministry for water and power during his presentation said that the energy plan with China was divided into three parts. In the first part, the projects of coal, wind, solar and hydel for generating about 7000MW energy will be initiated in September this year, which will be completed in the next three years. In the second part, the projects will be completed in five years while in the third phase the projects will be completed in seven years.
Both parties discussed the organisational framework, basic concepts, main items, work programme and enabling mechanism for energy planning of CPEC. The ministry of water and power and China’s National Energy Administration agreed for fast-track implementation of the 21,690 MW power and related infrastructure projects under the CPEC.
During the discussion, it was agreed that both sides would jointly establish China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Energy Information Platform and provide timely, precise and complete data and information about the platform, and will also establish Energy Planning Expert Group.
China would provide $6 million for operation of information platform. The ministry of water and power will ensure that data sharing should continue throughout the planning period from May 2014 to December 2014. It was agreed that 16 power projects including construction of transmission lines would be completed by 2017.
It was also agreed that both sides would focus the study on power source and grid distribution, tariff mechanism, coal development and transportation, push forward the corridors energy infrastructure and interconnection and inter-working of power grids and establishment of major cooperation projects.
The groundbreaking ceremony may be performed during the visit of the Chinese prime minister.
Yuqing invited Pakistani delegation to visit China to discuss the projects to be early harvested in November-December. He said that out of 25 projects, 16 were early harvest projects of 21690MW.