PM Shehbaz vows to utilise available resources to generate solar energy

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to utilise all resources available to generate solar energy in the country for saving the valuable foreign exchange reserves spent on importing oil and gas, ARY News reported.

He was talking to a delegation of China Three Gorges International Corporation (CTGI), Kohala Hydropower Project and Karot Hydropower Project led by Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy Ms Pang Chunxue, who called on him in Islamabad.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Energy Engineer Khurram Dastagir, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Petroleum Minister Mussadik Malik, and the officials concerned. The chief secretaries of four provinces joined the meeting through a video link.

The Prime Minister thanked China Three Gorges International Corporation for the timely completion of the Karot Hydropower Project and the free supply of electricity to Pakistan before the commencement of its commercial operation.

Speaking on the occasion , the premier said the government was committed to the solarisation of Pakistan. The Prime Minister expressed keen interest in working together on hydel, solar and wind power generation.

He mentioned that solar power was a clean and green way of electricity generation and said the solar projects would mitigate the issues such as distribution losses, power theft, and circular debt.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said affordable solar power would reduce the burden of inflation on the common man.

Later, CTGI requested the Prime Minister to extend the period of Letter of Support to get the required investment from Sinosure China for the completion of Kohala Hydropower Project.

The Prime Minister directed the concerned authorities to issue a new LOS by 20th of this month, and directed them to remove all obstacles to the completion of the Kohala Hydropower Project.