Hydel, solar power projects: WB mission due for joint implementation support

ISLAMABAD: A World Bank Mission is likely to conduct a joint Implementation Support Mission for Dasu Hydropower Project and Tarbela 4th Extension Project, as well as, a Preparation Mission for Floating Solar Project during the period from July 27 to August 26, 2022, official sources told Business Recorder. The Mission intends to have a meeting with the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), Ministry of Energy (Power Division), KP Government, Managements of WAPDA and NTDC, and the Project Implementation Units for Dasu and Tarbela projects.

The Mission will be led by the Task Team Leads, Rikard Liden (Lead Energy Specialist) and Gunjan Gautam (Senior Energy Specialist) and will include Masood Ahmad (Advisor), Uzma Sadaf (Senior Procurement Specialist), Imran-ul-Haq (Senior Social Development Specialist), Ahmad Imran Aslam (Senior Environmental Specialist); Sana Ahmad (Environmental Specialist), Zhengjia Meng Senior Infrastructure Financing Specialist), Noureen Iqbal (Financial Management Specialist), Bilal Paracha (Transport Specialist), and supported by Amna Mir (Sr. Program Associate). Simon J Stolp, South Asia Practice Manager for Energy Unit will also participate in some meetings.

Pakistan to announce national solar energy policy on August 1

The World Bank is already funding run of the river Dasu hydropower Project, Tarbela 4th Extension Project, which is under investigation by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The Bank has also plans to fund 300-MW floating solar project in Pakistan to be installed at Tarbela- Ghazi Barotha Complex. The government approved the project and World Bank team visited Pakistan from April 21 to April 30, 2022, to carry out an appraisal mission for the floating solar project. The project will finance 300 MW of floating solar plants, which will work in hybrid-mode with hydropower plants in Tarbela-Ghazi-Barotha Complex and displace electricity from expensive peaking thermal power plants. The project will deploy the first floating solar plants in Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022