Pakistan is now energy surplus, says PM Abbasi

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Wednesday that the country had become surplus in energy in a short period of four years starting from 2013 when the nation used to face up to 16 hours of loadshedding a day.

Speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of unit one of the 1,320MW (2x660MW) Port Qasim coal-fired power plant, the prime minister said it was the second largest project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He said the completion of the power plant in a record period of 30 months at a cost of $2.8 billion was a great achievement on the part of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company Ltd and Private Power and Infrastructure Board.

Mr Abbasi said the plant was a symbol of Pakistan-China friendship and a milestone in the CPEC and Al-Mirqab Capital, Qatar. He praised Al-Mirqab Capital chairman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani for his cooperation and financial support for the project.