Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO) is spearheading the power sector initiative of the province of the KP. The province has huge hydro power potential of around 30,000 MW or approximately 70% of national untapped hydro power potential. PEDO is actively working on harnessing this resource for the benefit of the province and country at large. It has already identified a total of 29 hydro power projects with an investment of around US $12.0 billion, a huge amount by any standard.
Although it is difficult to arrange these funds in a short span of time, PEDO has embarked on a multi-pronged strategy to implement these projects on fast track basis. It is developing these projects both in the public and private sectors. Work in the public sector is already underway with 8 projects totalling 270 MW at different stages of implementation whereas the private sector initiative has also been launched.
A new investor friendly KP Hydro Power Policy 2016 and associated Guidelines have been put in place to attract investment in the sector. The PEDO has advertised 6 solicited (feasibilities completed) sites and 1 semi-raw site (feasibility not done) to private sector (both local & international) for investment. The projects include Naran (Mansehra 188 MW), Ghorband (Shangla 21 MW), Nandihar (Batagram 12 MW), Arkari Gol (Chitral 99 MW), Shigo Kas (Lower Dir 102 MW) and Batakundi (Mansehra 96 MW) with an overall investment amount of approx US $1.5 billion. The semi-raw site Sharmai (Dir 150 MW) entails an approximate project cost of US $0.5 billion. In total, all the 7 projects offered to private sector add up to a capacity of 668 MW and an investment amount of US $2.0 billion.
"This is the first time the KP government has taken such a bold initiative and is striving hard to attract private sector investment in the war-torn province. Proposals for pre-qualification stage for 6 solicited sites have been received by PEDO. There has been an overwhelming response from the private sector, submitting 56 proposals which show their confidence in the policies of the government and management of PEDO. This is the first time in the history of the province that investors have taken such keen interest in the hydro power sector and once this investment is materialised, this will be biggest in any sector in the KP.
PEDO intends to offer further projects to private sector in the coming months so that maximum power projects have been initiated to rid the province and country of the menace of loadshedding as soon as possible. PEDO has also launched a micro hydel initiative through which it will provide access to energy to rural population of the province. Through this project, it will construct 356 micro hydels in northern districts of KP. These are community based projects and will be handed over to community based organisations (CBOs) for operations and maintenance. These projects will provide cheap and clean source of electricity to almost 350,000 people and currently the government / PEDO is enhancing this to 1000 projects servicing a total population of one million.
Moreover, the ADB has also joined hands with PEDO and providing technical assistance and funding to various projects. All these initiatives are steps in the right direction and show the resolve of the provincial government to bring about a positive change in the lives of its people.
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