Federal Minister for Power Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan laid foundation stone of 500 kV Maira Switching Station near Kahuta on Thursday.
While addressing the ceremony, he said that the present government is fully committed to provide affordable electricity to the end consumer.
The Switching Station would cost around PKR 7 billion and will be constructed over an area of 80 acres land. This will be the second such switching station to be added to the system in the last three years. Maira Switching Station was commissioned in March-2019.
The Switching Station has a completion period of 20 months and it will help evacuation of clean, reliable and affordable energy to the National Grid. It would also reduce load shedding in the country and bring basket price of electricity down.
The project will serve as an interconnection for evacuation of power from Neelum Jhelum (969 MW), Karot (720 MW), Mahl (640 MW), Azad Pattan (700.7 MW) and Kohala (1124 MW) hydropower projects.
He also appreciated the efforts of NTDC Management for pursuing the project efficiently.
During the ceremony, CEO CET, the contractor company, Ms Zhang Li, said that her company will complete the project well before deadline.
MD NTDC, Engr. Dr. Rana Abdul Jabbar Khan also addressed the ground breaking ceremony and said that the project site was handed over to the contractor on October 4, 2022. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is the financer of this project.
He said that NTDC is executing its development projects vigorously for timely completion.
NTDC officers , contractors and large number of locals were also present during the ceremony.
