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Zhao Yonggang, CEO, CPHGC
Zhao Yonggang, CEO, CPHGC

China Power Hub Generation Company (Pvt.) Ltd (CPHGC) The Chinese company has been undertaking many CSR activities for the benefit of the local people

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Published: Sun 16 Aug 2020, 1:06 AM

The China Power Hub Generation Company (Pvt.) Ltd (CPHGC), a 1,320MW power plant in Hub, Balochistan, is a joint venture between the Chinese company SPIC and Pakistan's largest independent power producer, HUBCO. The power plant achieved commercial operations when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated it in October 2019. Since then, it has been meeting the electricity needs of more than four million Pakistanis providing uninterrupted electricity to the national grid.
The $2 billion investment in the power sector of the country has been hailed as a benchmark for investment. Besides generating revenue for the federal and provincial government, the project is providing employment and business opportunities to the locals, injecting vigour into the local economy. We got in touch with Zhao Yonggang, CEO, CPHGC to tell us more about the opportunities that CPHGC is providing to the local community.
"We had selected HUBCO, the largest independent power generation company in Pakistan as our partner and worked with them for our CSR outlook, based on the needs of the locals. The underlying issue was employment for the local youth. In collaboration with Hunar Foundation, we trained 30 people and provided job opportunities at our plant."
CPHGC has been in the news for a number of community welfare projects since the beginning. In 2017, it responded to the request of local government authorities and helped to clean up the Hub town, a commercial point that connects the province of Balochistan with the financial capital of Pakistan, Karachi. Later that year work started on a one-of-a-kind environmentally reliable, floating jetty for the fishermen of the neighbouring villagers of Allana Goth.
"The village is 30 minutes driving distance from the main Hub town. Catching fish is their only source of sustenance but they had no facility to offload their catch. This meant losses in terms of the fish that they sell. When we came to know of their plight, we offered to help by constructing a jetty. However, due to lack of funds it hadn't been implemented. On the direction of the Coastal Development & Fisheries Department of the Government of Balochistan, we built a jetty exclusively for the fishermen of the area, which was inaugurated in 2019."
During the 2018 FIFA World Cup, CPHGC also constructed a playing pitch for the students of a local school in Gaddani. "We bought land from the Government of Balochistan and committed to building a school there. It will be spread over an area of two acres and will also have proper sporting facilities. Construction is due to be completed this year. Classes will of course start once the government gives clearance," Yonggang added.
During the current Covid-19 crisis, CPHGC came to the assistance of the Hub administration and the local population. On their request, CPHGC donated one tonne of ready-to-use disinfectant and 2,000 face masks. CPHGC donated countless ration bags to the financially distressed families of the area.
When talking about the future of CPHGC, Zhao shares plans for local employment of the company.
"Hiring local talent has been the focus of our long-term strategy. We have long encouraged and supported local staff to work at the power plant. In 2018, we inducted 38 local engineers and sent them for training to China. They will work up the chain of command and sometime in the future they might be the senior management that takes care of the running of the CPHGC plant.
"Employees are given face masks and sanitisers. Time and again safety bulletins have been issued internally and we have continued to monitor local news, advising our employees to take precautions accordingly.
"During these difficult times, CPHGC is playing a very crucial role to Pakistan society; we have Chinese and Pakistanis working together to keep this power plant running smoothly, all of them are on duty. They are not able to stay with their families, many of them have not been able to go home for more than 11 months. I am proud of my team at CPHGC who have showed real maturity and value when it was needed most. I wish all a safe and healthy future," he said.


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