Daily Times

To provide electricity to the new Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) through the national grid, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has officially been signed between the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO).

Under the MoU, approximately 12 MW of electricity will be provided to the New Gwadar International Airport by October 17, fulfilling its 24-hour electricity needs without interruption. The MoU states that commercial tariffs will be charged based on electricity usage.

On special directives from the Ministry of Planning, Quetta Electric Supply Company, which handles power supply across Baluchistan, has approved 12 MW to electrify NGIA. A QESCO official told Gwadar Pro that testing and commissioning has been completed, with all required equipment like poles, transmission lines, and electrical circuits aligned to the installed power system.

To ensure uninterrupted electricity, 12 MW will be available to NGIA around the clock through three transmission lines. “This means if one line fails, the second will automatically connect, and if that goes down, the third will serve as a backup,” he added. “One supply is coming from the 286 km long, 132kV dual-circuit line through Naal-Basima-Naag-Panjgur. The second is from the Mund-Pishin-Turbat line to the Gwadar grid station. The third is from the Gabd-Remden line to the Jiwini-Gwadar grid station,” he explained.

With the electrification process complete, NGIA is expected to start welcoming domestic and international flights, marking a new era of modern aviation connecting Gwadar to the world. Major airbase components of the China-funded NGIA, including the runway, taxiway and apron, were already unveiled on July 27, coinciding with the 10-year commemoration of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The new airport is located 26km northeast of Gwadar City on the Arabian Sea coast. The NGIA project commenced in 2014 as an early harvest, high-priority project under CPEC. It was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in January 2015.