The Asian Development Bank has approved a $250 million loan to expand and improve the transmission network in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in Pakistan. The ADB's transmission enhancement project will help stabilize the national power grid by increasing transmission capacity.

The high-voltage transmission network will be expanded to include enclosed 500kV and 220kV transmission line loops. The transmission losses in Lahore City, Punjab Province will also be reduced by replacing old transmission lines.

The purpose of this project is to narrow the supply-demand gap by increasing local resources by more than 50%, and achieve environmental stability and climate adaptation capabilities in the power sector. The project will also supplement ADB's support for state-owned national transmission and dispatch companies to provide clean and cost-effective energy.

Yevgeny Zhukov, Director of the Central and West Asia Bureau of the Asian Development Bank, stated that reliable electricity supply is crucial for inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and will also provide economic opportunities for rural communities.

We are pleased to continue supporting Pakistan's efforts to achieve energy security while improving energy efficiency. The ADB will also support NTDC's project and financial management, as well as its ability to incorporate climate resilience into its planning and operations.

In June 2023, the Asian Development Bank approved a loan of $214 million to Samruk Energy's subsidiary Almaty Power Station to upgrade the coal-fired cogeneration plant in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The loan proceeds will be used to upgrade the cogeneration plant 2 of Almaty Power Station, equipped with a combined cycle gas turbine unit. The fuel efficiency of the power plant will increase by more than 20%, while reducing carbon emissions.Editor/XingWentao