The Asian Development Bank has approved $250 million in loans to help deliver reliable electricity in Pakistan by expanding and improving the power transmission network in the country’s Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. ADB’s Power Transmission Strengthening Project will help reinforce the stability of the national grid by increasing its transmission capacity, according to ADB press statement.
The project will expand the high-voltage transmission network to close 500 kilovolt (kV) and 220 kV transmission lines loops and reduce transmission losses in Lahore city in Punjab by replacing old transmission lines.
ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said that, “Reliable power supply is essential to inclusive, sustainable economic growth, and it will also provide economic opportunities to rural communities.”
The project will complement ADB’s ongoing support to the National Transmission & Dispatch Company Limited (NTDC) aimed at ensuring energy security, climate resilience, and increased transmission capacity to deploy sufficient, reliable, clean, and cost-effective energy. Improving the management of the national transmission system of Pakistan is another key objective.
ADB Senior Energy Specialist Takhmina Mukhamedova told that, “To promote gender equality and women’s involvement in the energy sector, ADB will develop guidelines for mentorship, conduct awareness campaigns, establish childcare centers, and provide technical training to female staff in the NTDC.”
“This project also includes livelihood skills development for women in the project areas to improve their economic opportunities, and training for local communities to enable them to respond to climate-induced natural hazards,” Mukhamedova added.
