KHNP Launches 1.4 Trillion KRW Pakistan Hydropower Project... Holds Community Hearing

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power held a public hearing for local residents on the 26th local time to develop the hydropower project in Lower Spat, Pakistan.

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced on the 26th (local time) that it held a public hearing with residents in the Kohistan region of Pakistan for the development of the Lower Spotga (LSG) hydropower project.

The public hearing is an essential process in Pakistan's power development procedures and was conducted under the supervision of the provincial environmental agency and local administration, with about 300 attendees including the provincial environmental agency chief, the local mayor, regional figures, and residents. Prior to the hearing, KHNP announced the date and location of the hearing in local newspapers in English and Urdu for 15 days. Approximately 1,000 copies of the summary report of the social and environmental impact assessment were distributed to residents in advance to gather diverse opinions.

The LSG hydropower project is a public-private partnership project with a total budget of approximately 1.07 billion USD (about 1.4058 trillion KRW) and an installed capacity of 470 MW, marking the first such project in Pakistan. KHNP and the KP provincial government of Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for joint project development in November 2018. Since then, KHNP has formed a consortium with domestic companies to support their overseas expansion and has been conducting feasibility studies and other development activities for the LSG project.

KHNP plans to supplement the social and environmental impact assessment report by reflecting residents' opinions and obtain approval from the provincial environmental agency. KHNP stated, "Following this, we will proceed with related permits and contracts according to Pakistan government procedures, start construction in 2025, complete it by 2030, and operate the project for 30 years to secure stable revenue from electricity sales."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.