KARACHI, Pakistan, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The groundbreaking ceremony of the Hub fire-coal power plant was held in Hub in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province on Tuesday with its capacity of providing electricity to about 4 million local families after its completion in 2019.
The project, which is one of the "priority projects" under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is constructed and invested by the China Power International Holding Ltd. and Hub Power Company Limited, with a total cost of some 2 billion U.S. dollars.
The power complex will install two 660 MW power units using super critical technology and is expected to generate 9 billion kwh electricity to Pakistani national grid and to provide cheaper energy production to Pakistani consumers.
The super critical technology is globally used to improve the coal efficiency and a highly efficient technology to desulfurization will be also used in the Hub project, said Wang Binghua, chairman of the board of the China Power International Holding Ltd.
He said in his opening speech during the ceremony that the power plant will promote local economic and social development, create more tax revenue and job opportunities, improve local people's livelihood.
According to Wang, the Balochistan provincial government recently also got a minor shareholding in the project. "The government's participation will enable the project to demonstrate the close collaboration between the enterprise and the government, state-owned and private sector and China and Pakistan."
Pakistan Minister of Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal called this project another "milestone" of the CPEC and the power plant will provide energy and development impetus to Balochistan and address Pakistan's shortage of power.
He also hailed that the CPEC helps Pakistan's nationwide economic development and is a significant move for Pakistan and China to intensify their cooperation.
