ISLAMABAD: China has offered to export 4,000MW of electricity to Pakistan for which a memorandum of understanding will be signed in a couple of days, Dawn has learnt.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave a go-ahead to his economic team last week for early finalisation of the accord.

“We have received a draft MoU from China,” an official of the ministry for water and power told Dawn. An official delegation had gone to Beijing to discuss the draft with officials of the State Grid China, he said.

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The legal team of the Private Power and Infrastructure Board and the National Transmission and Despatch Company had proposed some changes in the draft, the official said, adding that the 4th meeting of Pakistan-China Joint Cooperation Commission to be held in Beijing on March 25 would review the proposed changes.

The meeting would also finalise the agreement for signing during the coming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan, he said.

The two sides will also discuss modalities, including the financing of the transmission line, tariff and deadline for completion of the project.

Water and Power Minister Khwaja Asif hinted on Monday that the project would be ready by 2018.

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The government has already announced to add 10,400MW to the national grid with the help of China by 2017 under early harvest projects.

Under the early harvest programme, Pakistan and China have made substantial progress for installation of three coal-based power plants to generate 3,300MW of electricity.

The National Transmission and Despatch Company and State Grid China will also sign a cooperation agreement on two transmission lines from Matiari to Lahore and Matiari to Faisalabad.

Published in Dawn March 24th , 2015

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