Rashid Khattak

The Karot Hydropower Project will meet the electricity needs of five million people in Pakistan and play an important role in alleviating the power shortage in the country. The project, executed under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is expected to save 1.4 million tonnes of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.5 million tonnes each year. Qin Guobin, the Vice General Manager of China Three Gorges International Corporation (CTGI) and Chairman of CSAIL, told a "Public Open Day" event at the project site that the hydropower plant had a capacity of generating 720 megawatts.

It has an annual generating capacity of 3.2 billion kWh. He said that the project would improve the energy structure in Pakistan and promote the sustainable development of the local economy besides contributing to the global goal of carbon neutrality. After seven years of transformation, the Karot Hydropower Project achieved full operation on June 29, 2022. After nearly five months of smooth operation, the first public “open day” of the project was held to welcome the first group of visitors.

With the theme of “clean energy, Karot Hydropower Project around me”, the open day event led visitors to understand and visit the spillway, dam, power plant and other facilities of the plant through promotional videos, on-site visits and interaction with project professionals. They were briefed about the benefits of the power project before and after its commissioning in providing clean energy, protecting the ecological environment, integrating into the local community and fulfilling social responsibilities.

During the event, CSAIL also issued appointment letters to local employees and launched a vlogging campaign of “China Three Gorges in My Eyes” among the new employees, who received the “China Three Gorges Corporation Scholarship”. School bags and stationery items were also donated to students, who drew “Karot in my mind” on the graffiti wall with paint brushes to express their interest in the project.

During the execution of the project, China Three Gorges Corporation actively took the initiative to fulfil its corporate social responsibility. Chinese completed more than 20 public welfare projects for local communities including schools, hospitals and roads; carried out biodiversity conservation; and directly or indirectly provided more than 4,500 jobs to locals every year during the execution of the scheme.

They have sponsored 33 students under the scholarship programme to complete undergraduate studies jointly in Chinese and Pakistani universities. Qin Guobin said that the public open day in Karot was a sign of openness, inclusiveness and integration. It is a vivid illustration of the China-Pakistan friendship.

He said the China Three Gorges Corporation would continue to implement the goals of CPEC energy cooperation, provide more green energy for Pakistan’s socio-economic development, bring more benefits to the local people and make positive contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk