Chinese company Chongqing Savvy built more than 13 small, mini and micro hydropower plants in Pakistan as of 2019. Out of this, seven have finished installation and trial run and started generating power in Gilgit. The remaining eight plants are being installed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
These small, mini and micro hydropower plants have delivered tangible benefits for the well-being of local people in areas which earlier lacked access to electricity.
Chongqing Savvy Industries CEO George Zhou highlighted that power plants such as these could help electrify rural areas which would lay solid foundation for further modernisation and intelligent development given the renewability of hydropower against coal and gas based energy.
“We built a 1000 kW hydro-power station in Gilgit, which is used to supply electricity to the customs department,” he said. “Once the power is generated, the customs office can operate normally and out plant helps in clearance of items.”
Recalling suitable prerequisites for establishment of small, mini and micro hydropower plants in Pakistan, Zhou said they included abundant water resources, massive demand for electricity and the country’s potential for development.
Talking about the reasons behind his company’s investment in Pakistan, he attributed it to the close relationship between the two countries as well as the supporting facilities and potential market of his company’s products in Pakistan. Zhou added that as a large developing country with a population of over 200 million people, Pakistan still faced a vast gap in supply of power to pave way for industrialisation.
“Being an iron-brother, China is willing to offer technical support in this area,” he said. Besides, CPEC has created opportunities and privileges for small and medium enterprises like the company Zhou works for.
It is hoped that new energy, which is indeed a major trend in the world, could also help Pakistan realise massive development in the years to come.
