Islamabad intends to buy more electricity from Iran: Envoy

Tehran, Dec 4, IRNA – Pakistan Ambassador to Tehran Asif Durrani announced on Sunday that a delegation from Islamabad is to visit Iran to consider more cooperation in electricity and proposed buying more electricity from Iran. In a meeting with Managing Director of Iran Power and Water Industries Equipment and Services Export Company (Sunir) Bahman Salehi here on Sunday, Durrani said Gwadar region in Pakistan needs more electricity. Durrani said in case of Sunir desire for direct investment, there are potentials to cede projects in the sector of energy without international tender to the company. Visit of President Hassan Rouhani to Pakistan in past April and his agreement with Pakistani President to increase electricity export to 3000 megawatts, Salehi said. He said that Sunir has the capability to increase electricity export capacities to 5000 megawatts. Salehi underlined that cooperation agreement to execute the project to transfer electricity into Gwadar region, Pakistan, was signed before imposing west sanctions against Iran, but it has not yet been implemented. Deputy Head of Tehran Chamber of Energy Commission Hamid-Reza Salehi said that Sunir has permission from Iran Power Generation and Transmission Company (Tavanir) to transfer 400 megawatts electricity to Pakistan and is ready to build the trasmission line. Pakistan has also authorized two banks to build a connection with Sunir, but there is no indication for implementation of the project, Salehi added. Already, Pakistan Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif had told IRNA that Iran is the best choice for Pakistan to import electricity, gas and oil. During its past 22 years of the activity, Sunir has commissioned more than 230 projects in different countries and now has 18 projects in 13 countries under implementation. 1378/IRNA