Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Prime Minister of Pakistan, attended the inauguration ceremony for the Tarbela 4TH extension hydropower project on March 10 and ceremoniously pressed the start button to signal that the generator was officially operating.
Abid Sher Ali, Minister of Water Resources in Pakistan, Yao Jing, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, and leaders of PowerChina attended the ceremony.
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| The inauguration ceremony for the project. [Photo/powerchina] |
In his speech, Abbasi said, "this project is the result of teamwork and will bring immeasurable benefit to the country." He presented a souvenir to PowerChina as a gesture of gratitude for the hard work the company has contributed to the Tarbela 4TH extension hydropower project. Yao Jing also presented a souvenir to Abbasi on behalf of PowerChina.
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| Abbasi makes a speech at the ceremony. [Photo/powerchina] |
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| Yao Jing presents a souvenir to Abbasi. [Photo/powerchina] |
The project started construction in October 2013. Tarbela hydropower station is the biggest hydropower station in Pakistan and has drawn a lot of attention since it was first announced. PowerChina exhausted its knowledge and skill to overcome multiple engineering problems and make the project a reality.
During construction, PowerChina promoted "localization" of the project by hiring many local employees. In total, 3,000 local people were hired, helping to improve both their technical and management skills.
Pakistan has enjoyed rapid economic growth in recent years, but power shortages have always been an obstacle to its development. The Tarbela 4TH extension hydropower project will increase the installed capacity of the hydropower station from 3,478 megawatts to 4,888 megawatts, providing 3.84 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity to the nation and satisfying the needs of two million households. It will greatly reduce power shortages in Pakistan, promote economic development and improve people's livelihoods.
