CPEC’s flagship Rashakai SEZ to get 160MWs electricity by year end: Official

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 27 (Gwadar Pro) - A 160 megawatts transmission line from 220kv Mardan Grid Station to Rashakai Special Economic Zone will become operational in early December, an official of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Co. (KPEZDMC) told Gwadar Pro on Monday.

The work on the transmission line has already been completed, while Peshawar Electric Supply Co. (PESCO) has approved a dedicated grid station for the SEZ, the official said. He said that work on the grid station will start in October and will take two months to complete, after which the 160MWs line will become fully operational.

Work on another 50MWs transmission line from Swabi Grid Station is also in preliminary stages, the official added. “We have marked locations for electricity poles, and will soon start installing the same,” he said. He said that together with the existing 10MWs facility for construction phase, the two lines will satisfy total electricity demand of Rashakai SEZ.

Similarly, development works including road infrastructure and provision of water are also underway in full swing, the official said.

Rashakai SEZ is a flagship economic zone of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) meant for large-scale enterprises. The SEZ is located ideally on the confluence of M1 Motorway and Swat Expressway, which connect the facility to China, Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics. The Zone is being developed by China Road and Bridge Corp. (CRBC) under a concession agreement with KPEZDMC.

China's Century Steel was the first entity to invest in the zone, presently installing plants for KP's largest steel mills. Another 9 firms have also been allotted plots in the SEZ and are currently in documentation stages, the official said. After the completion of documentation, these firms will be required to start construction work within six months, he said.

Rashakai SEZ is expected to generate as many as 250,000 direct and indirect jobs to help eliminate unemployment in KP's most populous districts surrounding the zone.