Pak claims India has offered to sell power
Pakistan commerce secretary Zafar Mehmood claimed India had offered to sell power to help Islamabad tide over massive shortage.
By TNN | Updated:
NEW DELHI: Pakistan commerce secretary Zafar Mehmood on Wednesday claimed India had offered to sell power to help Islamabad tide over massive shortage, and the issue would be discussed at the two-day commerce secretary-level talks scheduled to begin on April 27.
A PTI report from Islamabad quoted Mehmood as saying the offer would be discussed at the commerce secretary-level meeting. The report said Mehmood did not give details, including when India had made the offer.
Asked for their reaction, Indian officials told ToI they had no idea of such a proposal being on the table. "It (commerce secretary-level talks) is going to be an unstructured dialogue. Any side can seek anything. Let's see what they have in mind. We will do what is possible. But power sale is not on the slate," a commerce ministry official said.
Pakistan is experiencing severe power shortage. It is also a signatory to a 2009 Saarc agreement to establish a regional electricity grid. Mehmood's statement, then, may be seen as Islamabad's intent to use the commerce secretary-level talks to push for a tapping point in India's grid under the Saarc plan.
India imports around 2,000 mw from Bhutan and exports about 50-100 mw to Nepal. New Delhi is building a link with Bangladesh for exchanging 500 mw, and studying a subsea line to Sri Lanka. Unlike Pakistan, it has also ramped up generation capacity substantially.
In contrast, the proposed link with Pakistan never progressed beyond initial discussions on the Saarc grid due to the strained relationship. During the initial talks, Pakistan was expected to exchange 500 mw to India through a 220-kv link that was to be upgraded to a 2,000 mw high-voltage, direct current line.
Under the circumstance, even if India were to agree to sell power to Pakistan, establishing a link and working out the technical and commercial modalities would take time. Looking at the present supply position in India, which experiences about 12% peak shortage, New Delhi may still be able to supply around 500 mw during off-peak hours.
A PTI report from Islamabad quoted Mehmood as saying the offer would be discussed at the commerce secretary-level meeting. The report said Mehmood did not give details, including when India had made the offer.
Asked for their reaction, Indian officials told ToI they had no idea of such a proposal being on the table. "It (commerce secretary-level talks) is going to be an unstructured dialogue. Any side can seek anything. Let's see what they have in mind. We will do what is possible. But power sale is not on the slate," a commerce ministry official said.
Pakistan is experiencing severe power shortage. It is also a signatory to a 2009 Saarc agreement to establish a regional electricity grid. Mehmood's statement, then, may be seen as Islamabad's intent to use the commerce secretary-level talks to push for a tapping point in India's grid under the Saarc plan.
India imports around 2,000 mw from Bhutan and exports about 50-100 mw to Nepal. New Delhi is building a link with Bangladesh for exchanging 500 mw, and studying a subsea line to Sri Lanka. Unlike Pakistan, it has also ramped up generation capacity substantially.
In contrast, the proposed link with Pakistan never progressed beyond initial discussions on the Saarc grid due to the strained relationship. During the initial talks, Pakistan was expected to exchange 500 mw to India through a 220-kv link that was to be upgraded to a 2,000 mw high-voltage, direct current line.
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Under the circumstance, even if India were to agree to sell power to Pakistan, establishing a link and working out the technical and commercial modalities would take time. Looking at the present supply position in India, which experiences about 12% peak shortage, New Delhi may still be able to supply around 500 mw during off-peak hours.
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