ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Tuesday agreed to establish a joint Economic Corridor Energy Information platform, for which China would extend $ 6 million.

After detailed formal deliberations during the first meeting of Energy Planning Working Group of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Ministry of Water and Power, in an official announcement, stated that both parties discussed the organizational framework, basic concepts, main items, work programme and an enabling mechanism of the energy planning of CPEC. Ministry of Water and Power and China’s National Energy Administration agreed for a fast-track implementation of the 21690 MW power and related infrastructure projects under CPEC.

It was agreed that both sides would jointly establish China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Energy Information Platform and provide timely, precise and complete data and information of the platform and also establish an Energy Planning Expert Group. China would provide $ 6 million for the operation of information platform, the statement added.

The Ministry of Water and Power would ensure that data collection sharing would continue through the whole planning period from May 2014 to December 2014. It was agreed that 16 power projects including construction of transmission lines would be completed by 2017. It was also agreed that focus would be on the study of power source and grid distribution, tariff mechanism, coal development and transportation, push forward corridors, energy infrastructure and interconnection and inter working of power grids as well as establish a list of major cooperation projects. —MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN