Chinese have taken another step forward towards extending more cooperation towards Pakistan’s economic and social development as China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) will integrate into overall progress of both the countries.
“A number of key projects invested and constructed by CGGC have played an important role in boosting Pakistan’s economic growth and creating jobs. They will continue engaging in the construction of CPEC and write a new chapter for Pak-China friendship,” Chen Xiaohua, President of CGGC, told CEN yesterday.
CGGC first entered Pakistan in 2003 and started Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project, its first hydropower project in 2008. The project is called as Pakistan’s ‘Three Gorges project’.
It took one decade for CGGC to complete this mega project because of its high difficulty level of construction with 90 percent of the construction lying underground in high mountainous areas.
To solve the world-class technological problem of constructing this super long diversion tunnel, CGGC decided to use the state-of-the-art tunnel boring machine (TBM) in Pakistan for the first time.
Many famous experts in rock and soil mechanics and geologists once said that there had been no successful precedent of TBM tunnelling in the Himalayas range, the youngest and most geologically active region in the world. Anyone who could successfully use TBM in the Himalayas would make history in tunnel construction.
In 2012, Pakistan’s first TBM came to the site of the Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project.
Feng Xinglong, Vice General Manager of CGGC, in charge of this project, said that the company completed the mega project, which is designed to generate 5.15 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually, accounting for 12 percent of Pakistan’s hydropower generation.
Besides easing power shortages in parts of Pakistan, this project is estimated to generate a fiscal revenue of 45 billion rupees ($442 million) annually, according to CGGC.
The Neelum-Jhelum is of great significance to promote local economic and social development and improve people’s livelihood.
Based on CGGC’s excellent performance in Pakistan and beyond, CGGC has been awarded more projects in Pakistan, including Dasu Hydropower Project, Suki Kinari Hydropower Project, Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project, Azad Pattan Hydropower Project, Balakot Hydropower Project and Karot Hydropower Project.
