BEIJING: The Thatta district in Pakistan’s Sindh province is witnessing the success of over 100 wind turbines, providing sustainable power to rural households. Yang Jianduo, Chief Representative of PowerChina in Pakistan, stated that 12 wind power projects, totaling 610 MW in capacity, are now connected to the grid, generating 2 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually.
This achievement falls under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with significant positive impacts on job creation and carbon dioxide emissions reduction.
Launched in 2013, the CPEC has become a flagship project of the BRI, linking Gwadar port in Pakistan to Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Hassan Daud Butt, Senior Advisor at the China Study Center of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, highlighted the fruitful outcomes of the CPEC, including $25.4 billion in direct investment, 236,000 jobs, and infrastructure development. This success was acknowledged during the Second Conference of the Global Economic Development and Security Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia.
The Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, is another significant project under the CPEC, contributing to clean energy with an estimated 18.1 billion kilowatt-hours annually.
The dam, a symbol of China-Pakistan friendship, is currently under intensive construction. Tabi Satti, a project manager who returned to Pakistan after studying and working in China, emphasized the transformative impact of the BRI on his hometown, bringing improvements in infrastructure, travel, electricity quality, and job opportunities.
CPEC’s decade-long success story continues, with upcoming projects such as the New Gwadar International Airport, Gwadar East-Bay Expressway, and the Rashakai Special Economic Zone, showcasing the enduring development opportunities and collaborations fostered by the BRI.
