(Staff Report):-
In a milestone development, Gwadar has finally begun receiving 100 MW electricity from Iran offering much-needed relief to local people suffering from long hours power outage since long.
100 MW Electricity being imported from Iran border has now been flowing uninterruptedly in Gwadar Grid Station through which power supply is being transferred into homes of all and sundry as per agreement signed between Pakistan government and Iran Government last week.
Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) Sub Divisional Officer Mr Tarik confirmed Gwadar Pro that it is heyday for Gwadar as supply of 100 MW power from Iran has come in Gwadar. Eventually promise has been realized, he added.
Another QESCO official said that per unit electricity fare will be same being charged by everywhere in Pakistan in accordance with levy fixed by National Transmission National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC).
Gwadar is located in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province. The port city of Gwadar is not connected to the national grid and has instead relying on power from Iran so far.
In terms of finalizing the agreement last week Pakistan’s Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir reached Iran and held meetings with his counterpart, Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akber Mehrabian, and other Iranian officials.
To seal the power supply agreement, three sessions were held between technical teams on both sides. “As a result of these meetings an agreement was signed on 13th March between Pakistan and Iran to provide 100 megawatts of electricity.
Meanwhile before the agreement Iran’s high-level delegation from Power division visited Gwadar on 21th February with the core task of finalizing power purchase / sell agreement with Pakistan.
Delegation matured details of deal of per unit price of electricity for residential and commercial purposes.
New infrastructure regarding installation of double circuit 132 KV transmission line from Kalatu (Pakistan city) near Gabd-Remdan (Pak-Iran border) to Jiwani Grid Station, spanning over 29 kilo meters has been put in place under new project. This 29 kilometer was the missing link that has been plugged up. While many years back, around 75 kilometers long double transmission line from Jiwani Grid Station to Gwadar Grid station have been laid down already.
Apart from this new power supply line, there is also an old power infrastructure available from another Pak-Iran border near “Panjgur” area that is linked to Gwadar and providing around 40-70 MW but due to its long distance around 400 kilometer from Pak-Iran border to Gwadar, share of other districts of Makran division, power losses and power outage, Gwadar always use to keep plunging into darkness on account of not getting regular and stable power supply.
Zumurd Baloch, resident of Gwadar City told Gwadar Pro that old power system from Pak-Iran border near Panjgur to Gwadar was lop-sided and had traumatized the lives of common man on account of system’s floppiness. Meanwhile, he heaped sigh of relief on new Transmission line from Pak-Iran border Kalatu near Gabd-Remdan to Jiwani and Gwadar saying it will get us rid of long hour power outage.
Another resident Mohsin Jan trading in building material said that Gwadar business had been languishing in the backdrop of sporadic availability of electricity. New power supply from Iran is a breath of fresh air for Gwadar industry, trade and local people.
