Suki Kinari hydropower project (884-megawatt), a China Pakistan Eco­nomic Corridor (CPEC) portfolio proj­ect, which will be completed at the cost of $2 billion, will start power gen­eration by November 2024. This was stated by Shah Jahan Mirza, Managing Director Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB), here while speaking at workshop aimed at developing a robust mechanism for tariff-based bidding of hydropower projects in Pakistan. The workshop was organized by PPIB in col­laboration with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), France.

One of the key highlights of the event was sharing draft generic Request for Proposals (RFP) documents for hydro­power IPPs prepared by Joint Venture – Tractebel GmbH, Germany and NDC (the ‘consultant’) in line with international best practices and applicable local regu­lations. The event brought together key stakeholders, including government of­ficials, industry experts, investors, local and international banks, and representa­tives from the energy sector, to deliberate on the critical aspects of tariff-based bid­ding and its significance in the develop­ment of hydropower projects in Pakistan.

Shah Jahan Mirza remarked that PPIB has already accomplished significant success towards attracting private in­vestment in establishing hydropower IPPs which is evident from the fact that so far 4 hydro IPPs of over 1,000 MW have been completed while another 13 hydro IPPs of 5,455 MW are at different stages of processing out of which 884 MW Suki Kinari project is scheduled to be in op­eration by November 2024. Suki Kinari is being constructed on River Kunhar locat­ed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The project is being executed by Suki Kinari Hydro (Pvt) Ltd / China Gezhouba Group Company Ltd in IPP mode.

Besides, hydropower, PPIB’s efficient facilitation has resulted in successful implementation of 54 wind/solar/ba­gasse based IPPs of 2,785 MW, he add­ed. As Pakistan continues its journey towards attaining energy security, sus­tainability, efficiency and competitive­ness, initiatives such as this workshop play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the country’s energy landscape.

Mirza commended the consultant for its dedication and expertise in crafting a robust framework and remarked that this is a major step for moving towards award of projects through competitive bidding instead of present system. Other esteemed speakers delved into the intri­cacies of the RFP, highlighted its key fea­tures and potential to streamline the bid­ding process for hydropower projects.

The workshop served as a platform for fostering dialogue, exchanging ideas, and building consensus on the way for­ward for accelerating the development of hydropower projects in Pakistan for lowering generation cost. Participants expressed their commitment to work­ing collaboratively towards achieving the shared goal of ensuring a sustain­able, reliable, less expensive and eco-friendly energy supply for the nation.