🇵🇰 Gwadar Updates

[Ghazi52]

Early warning meteorological system operational at Gwadar Port

Gwadar Pro
Aug 7, 2024

GWADAR - Gwadar Environment Department (GED) operationalized an early warning meteorological system at Gwadar Port in collaboration with China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on August 4th to help analyse and identify potential weather- and climate-related risks and hazards in Gwadar.

“It aims at enabling early actions to save and protect lives, livelihoods and assets of people at risk,” GED official told Gwadar Pro. “In 2022, Balochistan and Gwadar suffered severe flooding, resulting in significant damage to lives, infrastructure, and livelihoods of the affected population. The estimated damage to Balochistan Province amounted to $1.625 billion,” he said.

With the early warning system, Gwadar is better positioned to deal with frequent, extreme, and unpredictable climate-related hazards.

The early warning system is made up of four elements: disaster risk knowledge, detection, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting, warning dissemination and communication, and preparedness and response capabilities. In April, China Meteorological Administration (CMA) handed over equipment to Pakistan, which included a mobile vertical observation system, a Beidou Navigation sounding station and three automatic weather stations (AWS) including two backups and a large screen.

Last year, meteorological officers and experts from China and Pakistan held talks in Beijing on deepening cooperation in meteorological science and technology. Both sides reviewed the cooperation in the field of meteorological science and technology, and consulted on such topics as the early warning supporting system, operational capacity building, and training.

 

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Gwadar North Free Zone energized with 10 MW power supply​

Gwadar Pro
Aug 15, 2024

GWADAR - In a major development, Gwadar North Free Zone has been energized with 10 MW electricity after connecting the national grid system on August 15. In the second phase 5 MW power supply will be provided to Gwadar North Free Zone and Gwadar Port.

Gwadar Port Authority as the executing agency completed the entire work in one year. Quetta Electric Power Supply Company (QEPSC) and China Overseas Ports Holding Company (COPHC) conducted the feasibility studies. Sigma, a Karachi based company constructed the distribution network in the Gwadar North Free Zone.

Almost 300 meters long underground power cables have been laid down from Deep Sea Port grid station with a sub-station recently constructed at the entrance of North Free Zone. The sub-station has the control panels, HT room and cabinets to manage supply of electricity to the factories in the zone.

From the sub-station a 5 km long 132 KV distribution line carrying two feeders of 5 MW each were laid. On reaching the factories’ premises inside North Free Zone where companies including Han Geng and Agven are operating, step-down transformers have been installed for continual electricity supply as per their demands.

Now Gwadar North Free Zone has been linked to Gwadar Port’s sole grid station with three sources. “One source is national grid station of Quetta. The second source is Gabd-Remdan of Iran border. The third source is Nag-Besima section of another Iran Border.”

The Deep-Sea Port’s sole Grid Station was established in 2019 exclusively for Gwadar Port and Free Zone through three feeders. Since inadequate power was available at the disposal of the QEPSC, the grid station had to rely on diesel generators for production of thermal power using expensive fossil fuel at high cost in the past.

After Gwadar North Free Zone is energized, 8.5 MW Diesel Generator has been switched off, saving millions of rupees. COPHC official said that as matter of fact electricity which was being produced through 8.5 MW diesel generator cost around Rs90 per unit. However, after availability of 10 MW power in Gwadar North Free Zone, electricity cost will be around Rs.55 per unit.

“It means investors and factory owners will enjoy the saving of around Rs35 per unit. This will directly impact financial leverage and production growth not only for current enterprises but also for potential investors,” COPHC official said.

 

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Turkmenistan is the first Central Asian country to reach Gwadar port.

Turkmenistan, China will become the first Central Asian country to access Gwadar Port under Pakistan Economic Corridor. A committee has been formed to review the agreement between Gwadar Port and Turkman Bashi Port.

 

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A new monitoring station of Meteorological Department will be established in Gwadar

By Staff Reporter

The China Meteorological Department (CMA) has said that it is expected that a new monitoring station of the Meteorological Department will be constructed at Gwadar Port under the cooperation between China and Pakistan by the end of October, he added. Said that recently a batch of new meteorological equipment has already been sent to Gwadar Port, Pakistan through Khunjrab Pass. Khunjarab is an important land border crossing between the two countries in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

This will not only help BRI partner countries and regions enhance their climate monitoring capacity, but will also help them improve their monitoring and early warning capacity for cyclones and other catastrophic weather events, and help them improve disaster preparedness. It will help in decision making for prevention and mitigation.

China and Pakistan are key members of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Association Two. Cooperation between the two countries is of utmost importance for climate development in Asia.

 

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Gwadar: Pakistan Single Window replacing aging WeBOC to ensure modern e-custom system​

Gwadar Pro
Jul 14, 2024

GWADAR, July 14 (Gwadar Pro) - With a view to make Gwadar a modern logistic hub, the government on July 10 embarked on replacing the aging WeBOC (Web-based One Custom System) with Pakistan Single Window (PSW), a state-of-the-art customs digital management system in Gwadar custom mechanism.

It aims to optimize high-tech modern automation, standardization and harmonization of all logistic workouts and services related to land, air and sea routes. It will connect with the Customs, banking channels and other institutions to increase efficiency and reduce the time taken for processing in various departments.

With the initiative, WeBOC’s thousands of registered users i.e. businesses, government departments including Anti-Narcotic Force, Engineering Development Board, State Bank of Pakistan, Ministry of Climate Change, Railways, Income Tax Department, Provincial Motor Registering Authorities, Commercial Banks, will be incorporated into Pakistan Single Window.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) official told Gwadar Pro that strategic move is aimed at upgrading and transforming the core functions of Pakistan Customs through comprehensive Business Process Mapping & Re-engineering.

 

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Gwadar's 1.2 MGD water plant completed

In order to provide clean water to residents of Gwadar, 1.2 MGD seawater desalination plant has finally been completed as per schedule on June 30. Formal inauguration is all set to be executed by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during his likely visit to Gwadar after Eid Holidays.

Talking to Gwadar Pro, Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) project director Dawood Baloch said water desalination plant has been done and dusted with a grant of Rs. 2 billion from China in collaboration with Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), National Engineering Services Pakistan and China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC).

Along with completion of Civil, mechanical and electrical work, Central room of 1.2 MGD desalination water plant is now up and running, he informed.

Almost 90 percent manpower and human resource, he said, have been hired from local market of Gwadar and Balochistan.

On a query, he said that all related equipment and apparatus have been installed in befitting manner to keep desalination water plant functional with full capacity. Alongside construction of 1.2 MGD desalination plant, an around 1 kilo meter long water supply line from plant site to Gwadar city's main water supply network has also been laid down, he added

Completion of 1.2 MGD Water Desalination Plant, spreading over approximately one acre land area, reflects China's support for poor people of Gwadar desperately longing for clean water over the last many years.

Besides drinkable water being supplied to people of Gwadar through water reservoirs, 1.2 MGD Water Desalination Plant project will be another source of clean water that will help meet the water demand of the Gwadar city and Gwadar port.

 

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Expo and Trade Center

 

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Chinese funded

Pak-China Technical And Vocational Institute At Gwadar​

 

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Gwadar Port leads the high-quality development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, an important pilot project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and one of the main platforms for deepening bilateral cooperation.

“The direct exports will play a role in increasing remittances to Pakistan and improve Pakistan’s economy,” he said.

“More investors and companies will come to Pakistan after seeing easy export facilities between Pakistan and China. Our special thanks go to Customs and Terminal Corporation for their 5-star service,” Liao added.