France has agreed to provide PKR8.5bn ($85.5m) to fund two major hydropower projects in Pakistan –Mohmand hydropower project (740MW) and harpo hydropower project (35MW).
To this effect, credit facility agreements for the establishment of two hydropower projects have been signed between Economic Affairs Division (EAD) secretary Nargis Sethi; Ambassador of France to Pakistan Philippe Thi’baud; and French Development Agency (AFD) country director Denis Cassat.
The Mohmand hydropower project is located in the Mohmand Agency, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). AFD’s finding will support the Phase-I of the project that includes detailed engineering design, preparatory works as well as financial closure for construction of the project.
The Harpo hydropower project, which is located in the Gilgit-Baltistan, Skardu region, will allow the government to address the future demand of the region as well as establish the local distribution and transmission network to provide uninterrupted power supply to the local community.
Upon completion, these projects will ensure adaptation of climate change in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa especially in the Peshawar & Noshawara region; and improvement of the resilience, safety and profitability of hydropower projects.