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CPEC updates at Gwadar

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Gwadar to get 1.2 MGD water desalination plant

July 15, 2021


Islamabad : The government has approved 1.2 MGD (million gallon per day) water desalination plant for Gwadar with help of Chinese grant of over Rs2 billion to provide fresh potable water for the people of the Gwadar city.

The much delayed project highlights the mismanagement for a project of critical importance. Despite approval of 2 MGD desalination plant in 2006 under Musharraf/Shaukat Aziz regime, at an estimated cost of Rs378 million, the project could not be realised for 14 to 15 years. Initially, the federal government had approved the development scheme for desalination of water on the basis of 50:50 % cost sharing formula by the Center and Balochistan’s provincial government respectively.

The federal government had also released its funding of Rs138 million but the project could not be installed. The provincial government then asked the Center to revise the project cost and foot the entire bill while expressing inability to undertake it on a cost sharing basis.

Later the cost of this project was revised upwards to Rs978 million. The Centre released the remaining Rs840 million out of the total Rs978 million as it had already provided Rs138 million for the project. Despite releasing the whole entire amount, the 2MGD desalination plant could not become operational. Now with some stroke of luck the PC-1 for construction of 1.2 MGD Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant with allied infrastructure to provide fresh water to inhabitants of Gwadar, especially residing in the project area, was approved by the CDWP here on Monday night.

The population of Gwadar city had no reliable and sustainable access to drinking water for a very long time. Their main source of water is Ankara Dam which due to frequent droughts is unable even to meet the drinking water requirements of the city’s population. The residents have been forced to buy sometimes expensive water for their daily consumption.

The current water requirement of the Gwadar City is 4.2MGD per day while supply from the government source is 2.0 MGD. Within Gwadar city, the only available natural source of water is sea, therefore the Sea Water ROD plant is likely to resolve the basic issue of the residents of the city.
 
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China working to develop economic forest industry in Gwadar

July 16, 2021





Professor Wang Sen from the Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT) has said that China is working to develop Gwadar’s forest industry while also building a port. He has been spearheading research on tropical arid desert of Gwadar since 2018 and has cultivated a garden at Gwadar with various species of woody and floral plants. He is of the view that if economic crops are planted, the forests can grow thicker with time. This project is also supported by Pakistani Ministry of Climate Change, University of Karachi, and Indus University.


“We not only try to build a beautiful port, but also want to develop the economic forest industry in the Gwadar city,” said Professor Wang Sen from the Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT) in an interview to China Economic Net (CEN).

Professor Wang, an expert on economic forestry, has been committed to cultivating tropical arid economic plants in Gwadar since late 2018 when the Gwadar port was a stretch of desert. The sight of the barren land inspired him to pioneer a research on tropical arid economic forest in a bid to bring both ecological and economic value to the hub. “Even in the temperate zone with sufficient rain and fertile soil, trees may die, let alone on a tropical arid desert”.

Despite the technical difficulties, Professor Wang compiled a comprehensive record of the tropical arid economic plants in Gwadar and established a tissue culture lab along with necessary laboratories for disinfection, breeding, etc. under the support of Yulin Holdings and China Overseas Holding Group.

Woody grain and oil species, woody fodder species, and woody floral species are being or have been introduced to the cultivation demonstration garden at Gwadar.

For example, a kind of Chinese jujube called “zhongqiusucui”, a new type that was cultivated by Professor Wang and matures around the Mid-autumn festival, or “Zhongqiu”, has successfully grown in the garden. Resistant to drought and rich in vitamin, it has the potential to provide nutrition for the vessels at the port.

Fruit is another important part of economic forests. “We are now focusing on naseberry, a raw material of jam with high nutritious value”, Professor Wang told CEN. A germplasm resource garden of tropical arid economic plants is under construction based on previous investigations on hundreds of local germplasm.

By collecting and making the specimen of representative plants viable in tropical arid regions, the team aims to identify germplasm with high economic value and preserve them in the form of living plants. Furthermore, the breeding technique is being explored through genetic research.

“Unlike some food crops that require continuous cropping, which undermines soil fertility, economic crops like jujube can grow for decades”. According to Professor Wang, to discover and develop a suitable species that can survive in tropical arid regions not only serves innovation in scientific research, but more importantly, it complies with Pakistan’s green initiative and holds the prospect to alleviate poverty, as has been proved in China.

Once successful in the laboratory, it can be promoted in other “Belt and Road” countries with similar climate. Based on the tropical arid economic forest laboratory, Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT), the birthplace of China’s economic forestry discipline, is providing post-doctoral education to Pakistani students.

The project is also supported by Pakistani Ministry of Climate Change, University of Karachi, and Indus University.
 
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Large LNG terminal, pipeline network at Gwadar Port explored

Mehtab Haider
August 3, 2021


A representative image.


ISLAMABAD: The development of a large-scale LNG terminal through pipeline network at the Gwadar Port and truck load facility has been explored with plans to explore the possibility of investment by the private sector. The meeting was informed that 40 percent of gas was transported in China through pipelines.

The second meeting of the Pak-China Relations Steering Committee was held on Monday here in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar. The ongoing projects under CPEC and issues faced by their investors were discussed in detail in the meeting.

While discussing the CPEC energy projects facing delays due to Covid-19 pandemic, the committee directed the Power Division to formulate a policy to deal with COD extension issues of power projects. The Power Division was also directed to ensure the availability of sufficient power for operationalization of the 660 KV HVDC Matari-Lahore Transmission Line from 1st September, 2021. The committee also directed NEPRA to finalise the tariff for the project during the testing stage.

The meeting also discussed the 884 MW Suki Kinari project and gave directions to relevant authorities to settle the project’s operational issues on priority. The chair also directed the Ministry of Communication to expedite work on the Thakot-Raikot Road and Zhob-Quetta Road project and submit proposals in this regard to the cabinet by next week to move the projects to the next level of development.

The committee was apprised of the growing interest of local and foreign investors in the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone. It was pointed out that any delay in the finalisation of the developer would be detrimental to the project.
The minister informed that he would take up this issue with CM Sindh. At the Allama Iqbal Industrial City, a representative from the Board of Investment informed the committee that the board member list for FIEDMC has been finalized and will soon be notified.

Utilities to the Gwadar Port and Free Zone also came under discussion. The meeting was informed of prospective investments in LNG at Gwadar. The chair directed the Ministry of Petroleum to help facilitate investors and coordinate with the relevant ministry, including the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, to resolve the investors’ issues on priority.
 
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Large LNG terminal, pipeline network at Gwadar Port explored

Mehtab Haider
August 3, 2021


A representative image.


ISLAMABAD: The development of a large-scale LNG terminal through pipeline network at the Gwadar Port and truck load facility has been explored with plans to explore the possibility of investment by the private sector. The meeting was informed that 40 percent of gas was transported in China through pipelines.

The second meeting of the Pak-China Relations Steering Committee was held on Monday here in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar. The ongoing projects under CPEC and issues faced by their investors were discussed in detail in the meeting.

While discussing the CPEC energy projects facing delays due to Covid-19 pandemic, the committee directed the Power Division to formulate a policy to deal with COD extension issues of power projects. The Power Division was also directed to ensure the availability of sufficient power for operationalization of the 660 KV HVDC Matari-Lahore Transmission Line from 1st September, 2021. The committee also directed NEPRA to finalise the tariff for the project during the testing stage.

The meeting also discussed the 884 MW Suki Kinari project and gave directions to relevant authorities to settle the project’s operational issues on priority. The chair also directed the Ministry of Communication to expedite work on the Thakot-Raikot Road and Zhob-Quetta Road project and submit proposals in this regard to the cabinet by next week to move the projects to the next level of development.

The committee was apprised of the growing interest of local and foreign investors in the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone. It was pointed out that any delay in the finalisation of the developer would be detrimental to the project.
The minister informed that he would take up this issue with CM Sindh. At the Allama Iqbal Industrial City, a representative from the Board of Investment informed the committee that the board member list for FIEDMC has been finalized and will soon be notified.

Utilities to the Gwadar Port and Free Zone also came under discussion. The meeting was informed of prospective investments in LNG at Gwadar. The chair directed the Ministry of Petroleum to help facilitate investors and coordinate with the relevant ministry, including the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, to resolve the investors’ issues on priority.

Hi,

I think they are talking about "virtual pipelines" of GasPort and Lng Easy. The title used by reporter is kinda misleading.


I see alot of potential for the one proposed in Gwadar (Gasport) as most of their customers (specially CNG station and Industries) will be limited to Gwader surrounding areas in particular and Balochistan in general, our state owned companies (SSGC/ SNGPL) will feel less threatened. Another facet, not to be ignored, are Iran's interests. If this new found 'virtual pipeline' becomes successful, her electricity supply to Pakistan, will take a hit, also Pakistan's interest in Iran-Pakistan pipeline will further reduce (another opportunity for Pakistan to extract benefits from Iran and change the IP pricing formula).

It will be a hard sell and much difficult for the Singaporeans (Lng Easy), as it's desired market is in Punjab, which will make it a direct competitor to SSGC/ SNGPL.


It should also be noted, both these projects are private investments with no apparent government liabilities, all the risks from procuring Lng to delivering at footsteps of customers will be of these companies, albeit security concerns, which will be mitigated at GOP end.

There was a report published by Lng Easy in March, if anyone is interested, can have a look.

 
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Cabinet Committee on CPEC agrees to accelerate power supply to Gwadar


Federal Minister for Planning and Development chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Photo Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives


Federal Minister for Planning and Development chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Photo Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives


ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CCoCPEC) on Thursday approved a summary containing proposals for accelerating power supply to Gwadar.
The summary was presented by the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) at the outset of a meeting of the CCoCPEC, chaired by the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar.

The committee also directed the National Transmission and Despatch Company to take the necessary steps to speedily complete the project for power supply to Gwadar by March 2023.
Furthermore, the Power Division was given permission to begin negotiations for importing additional power supply from Iran.

Federal minister Asad Umar directed the officials concerned to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to the Gwadar industrial zone.

Federal Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin, Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed, Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, and others including special assistants and advisers to the prime minister and officials of the departments concerned also attended the meeting.
 
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BEIJING: Even as battle raged across Afghanistan last week, Gwadar Port, now operated by a Chinese company, continued to ship fertilisers to the landlocked country, the Global Times reported.

A total of 500 tonnes of fertilisers were shipped out of the port’s warehouse by a fleet of Pakistani trucks during the past week, a source at the port told the Global Times.

Located in Balochistan, Gwadar Port is a key project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Since its operation, the port has begun to play a new role as an efficient transit stop and time-saving trade port for land-locked Afghanistan.

Shipments of fertiliser started in January 2020. Fertiliser shipments destined for Afghanistan are leaving the warehouses intermittently due to border closures.

However, this business was not cut off despite the fighting between Taliban and Afghan government forces last week, according to the port’s source.

Zhou Rong, a senior researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, saw the unbroken trade flow through this international corridor, even during times of war and conflicts, as a validation of the advantages of trade.

“What happened just showed that normal trade between nations should not be blocked regardless of the situation,” Zhou said, noting that the Taliban knew it should not set up roadblocks for trade which was beneficial for Afghanistan’s war-torn economy.

A trickle of Chinese products continue to flow into Afghanistan through Pakistan, improved by CPEC infrastructure, though trade has been mostly done through the Port of Karachi, one of

South Asia’s largest and busiest deep-water seaports that handles about 60 percent of Pakistan’s cargo, according to Zhou.

Goods made in China shipped to Afghanistan include small machinery, and electrical transmission and distribution equipment, which are imported by Chinese companies that provide electricity to the country’s major cities.

Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that China hopes the Taliban would honour their vows to establish through negotiation an open and inclusive Islamic government, and act responsibly to ensure the safety of Afghan citizens and foreign missions in Afghanistan.

According to Chinese experts, China could play a role in post-war reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, pushing forward projects under the

BRI and providing investment when safety and stability are restored in the country.

Afghanistan has become the first landlocked Central Asian country to benefit from using the Gwadar Port for transshipment trade.

In 2020, the country imported 43,000 tonnes of fertilisers through the port contributing to its agricultural development.
 
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Spoilers In Gwadar

The threat from militants targeting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor gets more pronounced by the day. The bomb targeting Chinese nationals in Gwadar on Friday could have been much more devastating had plainclothes soldiers not moved in at the right time. Having said that, the loss of the lives of two children is still very tragic.

Another two children were injured alongside two others, one of them Chinese; this alone identifies the very limited capacity of militants to carry out attacks within Pakistan. A dampened ability to orchestrate terror incidents on our soil is both a source of hope and cause for concern.

Direct actions by both the intelligence apparatus and security forces is leading to minimised loss of life and a scattered frequency of attacks. But given the nature of the fight we are in, eradicating all security threats is a near impossible task.

Another lesson to remember is how many militant groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) are patronised by India, in terms of funding, capacity building and training. This is an outfit that has been banned by Pakistan, the US and the UK, and is also identified in our list of outfits supported directly by India. The country’s own newspapers have reported incidents of New Delhi funding and taking care of militants in India.

India’s support in trying to destabilise CPEC is getting more transparent. In the face of this damning evidence, it is hard for the international community to deny the facts and dismiss our narrative. Another diplomatic push to highlight the state-sponsored terrorism of the Modi government must be focused upon.

Alongside this, since Beijing is also being targeted alongside Islamabad, there must be greater interaction in how to fight this threat together. The Chinese embassy has also asked Pakistani authorities to catch the culprits as soon as possible.

The objective here for India and its partners is twofold; derail Pakistan’s efforts to get on the path to growth, and deny China access to the Indian Ocean. This requires a huddle together to work out the best defence—both diplomatic and economic solutions must be considered.
 
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New Gwadar International Airport to be operational in September 2023


Parliamentary Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Thursday directed the departments concerned to expedite the process of disbursement of payments among the affectees of damaged houses and land acquisitions in Gwadar.

The Parliamentary Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which met with Sher Ali Arbab, MNA in the chair, was assured by Secretary, Aviation Division that the New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) will be fully operational by September, 2023
 
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