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Pakistan opens $1.7bn Chinese-

built power line

PAKISTAN PAKISTAN has opened the $1.7bn, 660-kV However, problems occur in winter. In Janu-
Matiari-Lahore power line as part of govern- ary, the entire country suffered a blackout after a
ment efforts to use Chinese money and technol- fault at a power station in south-east Sind Prov-
ogy to shore up the country’s power grid. ince caused the grid to lose its 50Hz frequency,
The 878-km line forms part of the China-Pa- which led to power stations throughout the
kistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and was country shutting down.
financed and built by State Grid Corporation of This makes the reinforcement of the grid,
China, which will operate it for the next 25 years. arguably, the single most important infrastruc-
Hammad Azhar, Pakistan’s energy minis- ture scheme for the country’s socio-economic
ter, said the project would bring stability to the development.
country’s power system. Speaking at the online Zhang Jianhua, head of China’s National
ceremony, he said the project would “enhance Energy Administration, told those present at
transmission capability and bring relief to the ceremony that the Matiari-Lahore line was
consumers”. the first large-scale transmission project of the
Electricity generation in Pakistan has CPEC, and would provide “solid assurance” for
increased dramatically in recent years, thanks to power transmission in the south and power sup-
the large-scale construction of mainly coal-fired ply in the north.
plants funded by China. Speaking about the economic corridor in
As a result, the country has an installed general, Azhar added: “The CPEC is of utmost
capacity of around 37 GW and peak demand of importance for Pakistan. It will enable the coun-
only 25 GW, although this is growing at a rate of try to enhance industrial production, upgrade
about 5% a year. energy and communication infrastructure and
However, the grid is able to handle only 22 improve connectivity within the region.”
GW of power, resulting in chronic blackouts and Of Pakistan’s 207mn people, roughly 58mn
load-shedding, particularly in the summer when lacked access to grid electricity in 2018, includ-
demand is highest. ing 46% of the rural population.™

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