PM inaugurates China Hub Power Generation Plant in Balochistan

• Power plant will generate 1,320 megawatts of electricity.
• PM says by utilizing coal from local mines, the power plant will be able to generate low-cost electricity.
• China is providing help and cooperation in fisheries and agriculture sectors that will help boost our economy: Imran Khan.

(Karachi) Prime Minister Imran Khan has inaugurated the Coal-fired Hub Power Generation Plant on Monday. The plant has been established under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC) and will generate 1,320 megawatts of electricity.

Addressing the participants at the inaugural ceremony in Balochistan’s Hub area, he said this is the first joint project under CPEC and we want to see the pattern in future too.

He pointed out that by utilizing coal from local mines, the power plant will be able to generate low-cost electricity.

Imran Khan maintained that when the cost of electricity goes up so do the prices of essential items.

He said there are 185 tons of coal reserves in Pakistan. “If we increase our productivity then we could rescue the country out of the current crisis.”

He congratulated the Hubco Chairman Habibullah Khan on the project and asked him to use more indigenous coal for the project.

Imran Khan said Balochistan is the province that is full of rich mineral deposits. He said during his visit to the US chairman of company previously working on Rekodik project informed him that Pakistan has one of the largest and finest quality gold reserves in the world.

The PTI Chairman said they are still interested in working on the reserves as they believe that incumbent government of Pakistan is free of corruption. In past, a small group of people plundered the national wealth and filled their pockets.

The prime minister said apart from mineral resources, the province of Balochistan is also blessed with huge fisheries resources and its development can help earn valuable foreign exchange. Imran Khan said, “China is providing help and cooperation in fisheries and agriculture sectors that will help boost our economy.”

Imran Khan said PTI government inherited a record debt which led to more inflation, devaluation of rupee and other challenges. However, difficult decisions were made which have started yielding positive results.

The PM said we have to give clean governance to our country for the future generations.

He stated, "We are committed to mobilize the youth of the country for national development. The youth are the biggest asset of Pakistan and government will give them skills training to work in various sectors." He said centers of artificial intelligence, robotics and other modern fields are being opened to prepare our youth for the modern work requirements.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal also spoke on the occasion.

The government had approved the processing of 1,320MW imported coal-based power project at Hub in November 2014 and the joint venture of Hubco and CPIH was issued letter of intent in June 2015.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had approved the upfront tariff for the power project in February 2016.

The Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the CPEC included a 660MW unit of the project in the list of ‘priority projects’ and the remaining 660MW in ‘actively promoted projects’ under CPEC framework agreement of Nov 8, 2014.

The Pakistani principal of the project — Hubco — currently produces over 2,920MW through its four plants spread over Balochistan, Punjab and Azad Kashmir. Hubco is the only power producer in Pakistan with four projects listed in the CPEC, out of which three are under construction — Thar Energy Limited, Thalnova Power Thar (Pvt) Ltd and Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company — at Thar Block II.