PESHAWAR: The World Bank will fund two hydropower projects of 245 megawatts in Swat district in the current year. The initiative will generate an annual income of more than Rs13 billion for the province, said a statement issued here.

The projects were discussed during a meeting between a delegation of the World Bank Mission led by senior energy specialist Mohammad Saqib with provincial energy and power secretary Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah.

The other participants included chief executive officer of the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation Naeem Khan, KHRE programme chief engineer Shah Hussain, Gabral Kalam power project director Asif Kamal, Maiden power project director Mustafa Kamal and feasibility studies and management project director Mohammad Faraz.

The meeting was informed that with the financial support of World Bank, work on two hydropower projects in Swat district would start in the current year for the development of energy sector in the province. They include 157MW Maiden and 88MW Gabral Kalam hydropower projects.

An agreement of $450 million has been signed by the WB and provincial government for the purpose. The projects will be completed by 2027 generating more than Rs13 billion annual income for the province.

In the meeting, power secretary Imtiaz Hussain Shah appreciated the World Bank’s steps for funding the development of energy sector in the province and hoped that foreign investment would come to the province from the above mentioned projects, which will help the province.

Pedo chief executive Naeem Khan assured the World Bank delegates that he would do his best to resolve problems regarding energy projects, especially land acquisition.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2022