World Bank provides additional financing for Pakistan’s Dasu hydro project

The financing from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), with a variable spread and 25 years maturity including a five-year grace period, was approved on 31 March, and will fund the transmission line that is being built to complete the 2160 MW first phase.

The run-of-river project will help Pakistan generate low-cost, renewable energy and provide affordable electricity to millions of consumers, the World Bank said in a press release.

“The Dasu hydropower plant has a low environmental footprint and is considered to be one of the best hydropower projects in the world,” said Rikard Liden, Task Team Leader for the project. “It will contribute to reducing Pakistan’s reliance on fossil-fuels and producing clean renewable energy”.

The project will help to lower the overall cost of electricity generation, benefiting millions of users by making electricity more affordable for households and productive sectors, such as manufacturing and agriculture, the World Bank said.