Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division), Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan has laid the foundation stone of NTDC’s 765/220 kV Mansehra Grid Station, which is the first of its kind in Pakistan located at Sawan Maira, district Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While addressing the ceremony, Federal Minister said that the present government is exerting full efforts to utilize local resources for generation of electricity to reduce the reliance on expensive imported fuel. He said that 765 kV Mansehra Grid Station project is funded by World Bank with an estimated cost of PKR 24 billion and will be completed within 30 months. The grid station will be connected to a 765 kV double-circuit transmission line for evacuation of 2160 MW cheap and environment friendly electricity from the first stage of the Dasu Hydropower project. This project of transmission lines and grid stations will cost a total of PKR 132 billion. Federal Minister directed that efforts should be made to complete the grid station one year earlier than the scheduled period and youth of Mansehra and Hazara division should be given priority for jobs in the grid station. Khurram Dastgir said that 2000 megawatts of electricity will be added to the national grid from Thar coal project this year. Prime Minister will inaugurate the power project in Thar on March 22. Construction work on Transmission line to supply 2000 megawatts from thar coal project is in full swing and will be completed at the end of next month. He said that a feasibility study will be done immediately to build a solar park on 5 thousand kanals of land in Hazara Division. Managing Director NTDC Engr. Dr. Rana Abdul Jabbar Khan also addressed the ceremony and said that NTDC is executing its development projects vigorously for timely completion. Mansehra grid station is one of the first two 765 kV grid stations being constructed by NTDC. After completion of this project basket price of electricity will be decreased. Voltage profile of the distribution networks of PESCO and IESCO regions will be improved. He said that NTDC will also work on projects of social welfare in the area, i.e college, school and hospital will be built and clean drinking water will be provided to masses. During the ceremony, Federal Minister planted a tree at the project site. Federal Minister Murtaza Javaid Abbasi, PML N leader Captain Safdar, Special Assistant to PM Sardar Shahjahan Yousaf and others also addressed the ceremony. NTDC's senior officers, representatives of the Chinese Embassy and World Bank, contractors and local notables were present on the occasion.
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