S Korean companies helping in 353MW hydropower generation

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD: Some South Korean companies are helping Pakistan in generation of 353 megawatts (MW) hydropower through different schemes, sources told Daily Times here on Tuesday.

The sources claimed that South Korea is cooperating with Pakistan in the projects of water and power. A company namely ‘Star Hydropower Ltd’, owned by South Korean companies (K-Water and Daewii), is implementing a 147 MW Patrind Hydropower Project on Kunhar River in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the Power Policy 2002. Construction for the project has started and is expected to be completed by December 2016.

Additionally, a Korean company has also shown interest in developing another private sector hydropower project - 100 MW Gulpur hydropower project on Poonch River in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and is currently involved in finalising the process.

The contract agreement for procurement of transmission line material financed by Korea Eximbank for 220 KV Ghazi Road Grid Station Lahore was signed with Daewoo International Corporation Korea on November 25, 2009 with the contract price Korean Won 26,400 million whereas the EDCF loan for procurement of transmission line material was Korean Won 17,903 million, which was only sufficient for 70 percent material. However, Korea Eximbank has now arranged supplementary loan for the deficit amount of K/Won 8,497 million equivalent to $7.2 million for the rest 30 percent material, the sources maintained. In this regard, a contract agreement is being signed between Korea Eximbank and National Transmission and Despatch Company.

South Korean firm Sambu Sarco is the main contractor for the civil works contract (Lots 2 and 3.1) of Golen Gol Hydro Power Project (106 MW) in Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Moreover, South Korean firms have also shown interest in development of hydropower projects in Pakistan under Private-Public Partnership mode.

The sources further claimed that the government has completed designs and plans of several hydropower projects but the critical financial position of the government is not allowing implementation of these projects.

The international financial crunch and some conspiracies are also responsible for non-implementation of the proposed hydropower projects across the country. After construction of Tarbela Dam, no other big hydropower project has been carried out during the last 40 years. The sources said in initially 70 percent power was provided from hydel resources and 30 percent from thermal sources but today the percentage totally reversed.

Apart from hydropower, there is a lot of scope in wind, solar and coal-based power generation. If the government starts work on coal-based power generation, then after two years, the government will be able to get power generation, they maintained.

The sources claimed that 478 MW hydropower will be added to the national grid system by June 2013 through different projects. However, for next two years (2014 and 2015) there will be no hydropower generation. Then in 2016, the Neelum-Jehlum hydropower project will complete and some other projects will come in the main grid station in the next few years.

The sources claimed that there are several hydropower projects with the Ministry of Water and Power, but due to critical financial position, the government is unable to tape it. The government has to find out innovative source of financing to initiate these projects.

The government is also planning to utilise power generation potential with sugar mills. In this regard, the sources claimed that the government is going to present a draft policy on power generation through sugar mills.