Pakistan and Russia have assented to enter into negotiations for a 600MW gas-fired power plant at Jamshoro on Russian funding. The decision was made on Wednesday at a meeting between the Ministry of Water and Power Secretary Mohammad Younus Dagha and Russian Deputy Minister for Energy Yuri Sentyurin in Islamabad, according to Radio Pakistan.
Russia eager to invest in Pakistan’s energy sector
Dagha, talking about the investment by Russia in the 600MW gas-fired power plant at Jamshoro, said the feasibility of the project has already been determined and PC1 is ready as well. The country is looking forward to taking the cooperation between two countries to new heights, the minister said.
Since the power evacuation system already exists at the site, it is one of the most viable projects in which the Russian Federation can make its investment, said Dagha. The existing low-efficiency capacity project will be replaced with a higher efficiency turbine.
Sentyurin thanked Pakistan for the warm welcome accorded to him and his delegation and said the companies based in Russia have rich, comprehensive experience in the energy sector. He also said that the Russian Federation is eager to pursue the Jamshoro gradation project and is exploring ways to fund it. Sentyurin expressed confidence in Pakistan’s energy sector, saying that Russian investors are quite eager to explore it.
Work already in progress
Pakistan invited the Russian Federation to join the CASA-1000 for the transmission of electricity between October and April to Pakistan. Russia’s joining the CASA-1000 project will strengthen greater regional cooperation and regional connectivity as well, said Pakistan.
Pakistan invited the Russian Federation to join the CASA-1000 Project for the non-hydel part as there is a room for transmission of electricity from October to May, when the hydel generation is lower in the two central Asian countries. Sentyurin thanked Pakistan for inviting the Russian Federation to join the CASA-1000 and said that many companies based in Russian are eager to invest in Pakistan’s energy sector. Further, the Russian Federation urged the country to pursue other partners of the project jointly for the purpose.
Underlining the importance of the CASA-1000 project, Dagha said that the work had already begun on the project. Tajikistan and Krygzistan will transmit their hydel electricity in the summer months of May to October through the transmission line. The line will be available to transmit Russian thermal electricity for the rest of the months – from October to April, says Business Recorder. Dagha further said that the Russian Federation can take advantage of this idle period, adding that the country offers great investment opportunities in the energy sector.
Pakistan and Russia are ready to begin work on one more joint energy project very soon: the construction of the North-South gas pipeline in October. In 2015, the agreement for this project was signed. The 683-mile Karachi-to-Lahore pipeline is expected to cost some $2 billion, according to Sputniknews. The pipeline will have a yearly capacity of up to 12.4 billion cubic meters of gas.
