Pakistan asks China to remove 1,320MW coal plant from CPEC projects list

It cited that it had sufficient capacity lined up for the coming years.

Pakistan has asked China to remove the 1,320MW Rahim Yar Khan power project from its list of projects for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), local publication Dawn reports.

The government is no longer interested in pursuing the project given that sufficient generation capacity is already lined up for the next few years, background discussions revealed.

A delegation led by the Ministry for Planning and Development proposed to remove the Rahim Yar Khan imported fuel power plant from the CPEC list, in order to provide structure optimisation space for the subsequent power market of Pakistan, an official was quoted saying during a meeting of the country’s Joint Coordination Committee (JCC).

China suggested that a joint study on the optimisation of the energy mix be carried out at the earliest.

The coal-based plant, which will burn up imported coal, was originally pushed by the Quaid-i-Azam Thermal Company of the Punjab government. The company is headed by Shahbaz Sharif, who attended meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Energy during the previous prime minister’s leadership.