PM calls for tapping coal, wind & solar energy potential of country

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has stressed upon the need of fully tapping coal, wind and solar energy potential of the country to meet energy needs and reducing dependency on import of crude oil for energy purposes.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of K-3 unit of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant built in partnership with China in Karachi on Thursday.

The Prime Minister said the project will help in meeting energy needs of the country. He said the country has the capacity of production of 60 thousand Megawatts (MW) of hydel energy.

Shehbaz Sharif said work on Diamer Basha dam and Dasu dam was underway which will take time to complete. He said all these power projects including Karachi Nuclear power Project, Diamer Bhasha dam and Dasu dam were initiated by former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

The Prime Minister said there are huge coal reserves in Thar, enough to meet energy needs of the country for centuries. He said by tapping available cheap energy resources of coal, solar and wind energy dependence on import of crude oil could be reduced which cost 27 billion dollars.

He expressed the determination that CPEC projects slowed in the recent past will be accelerated to benefit the people.

Lauding the cooperation of friendly country China for the Karachi Nuclear power project, the prime minister said Pakistan and China are time tested friends and friendship between two have been strengthened in the last 75 years.

The Prime Minister congratulated the team and management of the KNUPP for their tireless efforts in completing the project that will help in meeting energy needs of the country.