Daily Times

BEIJING: The Karot hydropower project being completed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would not only meet the electricity needs of around five million local residents, further improve Pakistan’s energy structure but also boost the country’s sustainable development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday.

“The Karot hydropower plant is a major energy cooperation project between China and Pakistan,” he said during his regular briefing in response to a question about Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to the project last week.

PM Shehbaz Sharif also spoke to the engineers and workers of the project during the visit.

“Once all units are installed and put into operation, the project will not only generate steady and affordable energy supply, meet the electricity needs of approximately 5 million local residents and further improve Pakistan’s energy structure but also boost the country’s sustainable development,” he added.

Zhao Lijian said that the hydropower plant was expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 3.5 million tons per year which would make new contribution to the global response to climate change.

Invested by China Three Gorges Corporation, the Karot hydropower project in Punjab province is the fourth level of the five cascade hydropower stations planned for the Jhelum River. It will be operation soon and produce 720-megawatt off clean energy.

“We wish the project a speedy completion and construction so that it can be put into operation at an early date,” he added.

The spokesperson said that CPEC was a key pilot project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and an important platform for all round practical cooperation between the two countries.

The CPEC was guided by the concept of green open and clean development and committed to realizing sustainable, livelihood oriented and high standard growth.

Since its launch, the CPEC has delivered fruitful outcomes in energy cooperation, which helped Pakistan to effectively tackle energy shortage and provides reliable and ample energy supply for its economic and industrial development, he added.