China to bear 85pc cost of Chashma power projects: The News

By Mehtab Haider

ISLAMABAD: China will provide 85 per cent cost for construction of Chashma Nuclear Power Projects (C3 and C4) by extending suppliers’ credit, paving the way for generating additional electricity up to 680 megawatt over the next seven years to overcome energy shortages in Pakistan, it is learnt.

According to highly placed official sources, Pakistan and China are going to finalise the modalities of the supplier credit for two more nuclear power reactors (Chashma 3 and Chashma 4) in the upcoming visit of President Asif Ali Zardari, who is visiting Beijing from Feb 20.

During the last visit of President Zardari, China and Pakistan had signed a deal for C3 and C4 and now finalisation of related modalities will be on the agenda of the upcoming highest level visit of Pakistani authorities during this ongoing week.

In the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for 2008-09, the government had estimated the cost of C3 and C4 worth Rs129.905 billion, with foreign currency component of Rs80.360 billion. The government has allocated Rs220 million for the C3 and C4 in the current fiscal year 2008-09. “The cost of the C3 and C4 has already gone up from Rs129 billion to over Rs140 billion mainly because of depreciation of rupee against dollar in the ongoing fiscal year,” a high-level official in the Planning Commission confirmed while talking to ‘The News’ here on Monday.

China has already installed a 325-megawatt reactor at Chashma and is currently working on another with the same capacity that is expected to begin producing by 2009-10. Pakistan is facing a deficit of 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts, resulting in torturous load-shedding for hours in a day.

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Six hydropower projects to be initiated by 2010: The News

Friday, October 31, 2008
By our correspondent

LAHORE: In addition to initiating construction work on the 4,500 MW Diamer-Basha Dam Project next year, another half dozen mega hydropower projects including Kohala, Dasu, Bunji, Munda, Palas Valley would be undertaken in 2010-12.

This was stated by WAPDA Chairman Shakil Durrani during a briefing here at WAPDA House today arranged for a delegation of the 89th Management Course of National School of Public Policy, Lahore led by its Rector Lt. Gen. (R) Javed Hassan. These projects would generate about 21,000 MW of electricity on their completion and help improve low-cost hydropower proportion in the national grid.

The delegation was briefed that Pakistan has been blessed with the identified hydropower potential of more than 54,000 MW but only 16 per cent of this potential has so far been taped due to variety of reasons.

After its bifurcation last year, WAPDA is fully focused on water and hydropower development. The work on 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project has already started, while feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs of most of the mega projects in both water and power sectors are currently at the advance stages and likely to be completed by the next year,

The delegation was informed that Pakistan is storing only 11 per cent of the annual water flows of its rivers and, if this capacity is not increased, Pakistan will be a water short country by 2012. The delegation was told that the accumulative gross storage capacity of Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs that originally used to be 18.37 million acre feet (MAF), has reduced to 13.24 MAF due to sedimentation, resulting in 28 per cent loss of storage capacity.

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Pakistan gets power plant deal: LA Times

From the Associated Press

October 19, 2008

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN -- Pakistan said Saturday that China would help build two more nuclear power plants in the energy-starved Muslim nation, tightening the bonds between the two countries as rising militant violence in Pakistan strains its anti-terrorism alliance with the United States.

The nuclear agreement was among a dozen economic cooperation accords signed last week during President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to Beijing, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.

Although Qureshi gave few details, enhanced cooperation with China probably will help ease Pakistan's resentment of a recent deal allowing U.S. businesses to sell nuclear fuel, technology and reactors to India.

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Pakistan, China may enter deals for more nuclear power plants: Tehran Times

Pakistan will seek help from China in installing two more nuclear power plants at Chashma, materialising the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project, and joint ventures in manufacturing and assembling cars during the visit of President Asif Ali Zaradri to Beijing that is to start from October 14.

According to a senior government official at Finance Ministry, Pakistan and China may also strike deal in manufacturing and assembling of trucks. “This is basically the proposal of Heavy Mechanical Complex.” Islamabad and Beijing may also enter into agreements for setting up steel mills and cement plants and for developing the agriculture industry. China would be invited to invest in pesticide production and hybrid seed industry. During the visit, Pakistan would also seek cooperation in developing the electronics industry and home appliances.

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