ISLAMABAD: French Ambassador Martine Dorance along with European Union Ambassador Jean-François Cautain visited the construction site of the national Hydropower Training Institute (HPTI) in Mangla and participated in the cornerstone laying ceremony hosted by WAPDA Member (Water) Nasir Hanif.
France and EU through the French Agency for Development (AFD) provided the government of Pakistan with a 4 million euro funding. The grant of 2.5 million euros was delegated to the AFD by the European Union as part of the Asia Investment Facility. In addition to the EU grant, the French Agency for Development provided additional funding of 1.5 million euros for the successful and timely completion of the project.
Upon its completion by end of 2018, the hydropower training centre would contribute to the capacity-building of public and private hydropower operators like WADPA, provincial operators and independent power producers. It will ensure a sound and skilled development of hydropower projects by strengthening the capacities of technicians and engineers in charge of designing and operating hydropower plants.
For the last 10 years, France through the French Agency for Development has been promoting green energies in Pakistan and has allocated more than 300 million euros to investments in hydroelectricity. About 80 percent of this amount is financing projects implemented by WAPDA to develop the tremendous Pakistani potential in hydroelectricity.
France is committed to supporting the government’s strategy to solve the energy crisis and to fight climate change through investments in low-carbon-emission energy generation in line with COP21 Paris agreement approved by the Pakistani parliament.
On May 14, 2017. Martine Dorance visited the construction site of the Jaggran II hydropower plant in AJK and participated in the cornerstone laying ceremony hosted by Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan, Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
France, through the French Agency for Development (AFD), has also provided the government of Pakistan with a 68 million euros soft loan for the construction of the 48MW hydropower plant located about 90km from Muzaffarabad city towards northeast. The project is being built in the upper extent of Jaggran Nullah, a right bank tributary of the Neelum River. It is located downstream of the existing 30.4MW Jaggran I hydropower project, funded earlier with French support, and being operated since 2000 by the Power Development Organisation (PDO).
Jaggran II Hydroelectric Power Project will operate as a run-of-the-river scheme and not entail any major environmental or social constraints. It will be connected to the national grid, and will help alleviate the energy crisis in Pakistan.
