The gigantic Karot Hydropower Project
The endless Silk Road represents thousands of miles of love, harmony and prosperity in the re gion. More than 2,000 years ago, the Silk Road had been an ancient network of friendship, building a bridge of friendship between the peoples of China and Pakistan.
Construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under Belt and Road Initiative on the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, is done to pass the baton of development to the next generation for a new era.
Adhering to the philosophy of selfless dedication to global betterment in fulfilling its social responsibility, China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) is dedicated to jointly build a closer community of shared future with Pakistan in a new time based on the needs of Pakistan’s development, while deeply integrating the expectations of the Pakistani people. Both Pakistan and China are determined to share common interests, and work together to make themselves more prosperous. In January 2016, the Karot hydropower project groundbreaking ceremony was held in Pakistan. In February 2017, the project completed the financing Closure, creating a record of the fastest financing closure in Pakistan’s hydropower industry. In September 2018, river closure was completed, which symbolized the entry into the comprehensive construction stage.
On November 20, 2021, water storage was launched upon the closure of the sluice gates. On March 29, 2022, the rotor hoisting of all four units completed. On May 12, 2022, units 1 and 2 were officially connected to the grid for power generation. The project started operations on 29 June 2022.
Karot Hydropower Project is the fourth among the five Cascade HPPs to be developed along Jhelum River. Installed capacity of the project is 720 MW with average annual electricity output 3206 GW•h and annual utilization hours 4452h. As a single power generation task hydropower complex, the project’s structure layout includes rock fill dam, spillway, powerhouse, diversion tunnels, head race power tunnels and tail race tunnel. The project has been developed under the Power Policy 2002 on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis with five years construction period and thirty years concession period. The 720 MW Karot hydropower project has been listed as one of the prioritized projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor . The project is located at district Rawalpindi & AJK on Jhelum River. It is run of river type project with gross head of 79 m. As many as four Francis Turbine Units are installed. Approval of feasibility study of the project was given on Oct 7, 2009.
The Karot Hydropower Station is located on the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus River in northern Pakistan. It is the first large-scale hydropower investment and construction project of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, the first hydropower investment project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. It is also the first hydropower project invested by the Silk Road Fund after its establishment. The capacity of the project is 720 MW.
It is developed on BOOT (build-own-operate-transfer) model with advanced hydropower technology. It has become the largest private sector hydropower project in Pakistan and provided over 3.2 billion KWh of clean energy to the Pakistani people every year, which is equivalent to the total electricity consumption of more than two million Pakistani households in one year. It also plays an important role in increasing the proportion of clean energy in Pakistan, optimizing the energy structure, alleviating the power shortage in Pakistan, promoting Pakistani economic and social development, improving people’s livelihood and well-being and helping achieve the global carbon neutrality goal. The total investment in the project is 1.74 billion US dollars. The average annual power generation is greater than 3.2 billion kWh. It can guarantee an electricity supply for 5 million people. The project capacity is 720 MW. It will also provide over 4,500 jobs for Pakistan directly or indirectly every year. By the end of 2021, China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd (CSAIL),an investment holding company formed by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), had provided Pakistan with about 6,000 jobs in total, providing an important boost to Pakistan’s economic and social development.
On the face of the rampant pandemic, the company has joined hands with the Pakistani people to help each other over the difficulties, by which the people have been in closer connection, with the China-Pakistan friendship higher than the mountain, deeper than the sea and sweeter than honey sublimating in the process of common development and playing a role in building a community of shared future in Asia. For more than seven decades, we have joined hands in forging ahead through trials and hardships, fostering an iron-clad friendship. Despite ever-changing international situations, CTG continues to follow the road of openness and win-win cooperation, jointly building a cooperation platform with Pakistan to share the fruits of cooperation, so that the achievements made in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative benefit the Pakistani people more.
The wind does not always blow in the direction that the sailor wishes. Only through united efforts the people can move hand in hand towards a better future. Addressing the power short fall such worthy projects change the economic and social status of the region and put positive and long-lasting impacts on the society.
The writer is editor, book ambassador, political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
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