Photo by Ding Xuezhen

Located in Karot District, Punjab Province, Pakistan, Karot Hydroelectric Power Station—the first hydro project along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) using Chinese technology and construction standards—has entered its construction peak and its clean, cheaper energy supply is expected to boost the local economy upon completion.

As the first investment project from the Silk Road Fund, the Karot Hydroelectric Power Station is invested by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC). The gross installed capacity of the station will reach to 720,000 KW, generating 3.2 billion KW of electricity every year. The first power unit will be available by April 2021, and the full set of four units will come in to use at the end of the same year.

“We have over 4,000 constructors and over 500 different pieces of equipment working at the sight,” said Zhang Jun, manager of the construction project, adding that 70% of the cofferdam filling program and 80% of the excavation job for the base of the dam have been completed.

More than half on the payroll are Pakistanis. At the peak of construction, the project provided nearly 2,300 jobs for local residents, said Faizan Akbar, an assistant engineer of the project, who also praised Chinese counterparts for offering professional skill trainings to local workers.

Photo by Ding Xuezhen

The Karot hydro-power project not only provides local employees with job opportunities, but also undertakes social responsibility for the sake of local residents’ welfare. Over $6 million in investment has been allocated for social responsibility, with the aim of upgrading the living condition for local communities by means of fortified infrastructure, such as schools and public water supply systems.

In order to help Pakistani cooperators understand Chinese hydroelectric power station standards, the CTGC invited Pakistani experts to visit China’s Three Gorges Dam several times.

“Pakistani experts chose to thoroughly apply Chinese standards to finish the project after they acknowledged how advanced and mature China’s technology is,” said Yan Xinde, general manager of the Karot power station project.

In addition, the CTGC also uses an environmentally-friendly design for Karot power station. A world-class apparatus for waste water treatment has been adopted, as well as strict environment protection measurements.

A “construct-operate-transfer” mode is utilized according to the investment plan. After constructed, the power station will be operated and maintained by the Chinese side. After a 30-year operation period, it will be transferred to the Pakistani government for free.

Photo by Ding Xuezhen