Iran, Pakistan's Power Transmission Grids Connected

Afghanistan, March 13 -- The Iranian Ministry of Energy said the 200-megawatt electricity transmission line between Iran and Pakistan was developed and built in less than a year, connecting two neighbouring countries.

"The electricity transmission line between Iran and Pakistan was designed and built in less than a year with a capacity of 200 megawatts," Ali Akbar Mehrabian told the press on the sideline of a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart on Sunday.

He also said, "In today's meeting with the Minister of Energy of Pakistan, there were good discussions about how to swap electricity through this line, and we hope to reach an agreement in this regard."

The decision to strengthen the bilateral power connections came after the visit of the Pakistani energy minister Khuram Dastgir Khan to Tehran during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart, the Pakistani energy ministry said.

According to the officials, the annual trade between the two neighbouring countries is currently worth over two billion dollars, while constructing this line would increase the electricity exchange by 200 megawatts, significantly strengthening their economic ties.

Earlier in February, Pakistan inaugurated a $2.7 billion nuclear power plant to address the power deficiency in the country.

The nuclear power plant was the second unit in the Karachi province, using Chinese-designed Hualong One reactor with the financial support of China.

According to the National Electric Power Regulator Authority, the power plant capacity was estimated at 1,100 megawatts to generate some of the country's cheapest electricity.

Moreover, Pakistan is one of the leading coal importers from Afghanistan, bringing in 10,000 tons daily to power the nation's industrial factories at a low cost. Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Khaama Press. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at contentservices@htlive.com