Rashakai SEZ to start operation in March as construction advances

It’s a sunny day on the Rashakai Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project. With a white helmet on, Engr. Samee Ullah is on his routine inspection of the project site with Chinese colleagues, reviewing daily progress and discussing possible on-site electricity-related issues.

The Rashakai Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is a flagship project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), jointly developed by Chinese and Pakistani companies.

A spokesperson from CRBC Pakistan, the Chinese undertaker of the SEZ, told China Economic Net (CEN) that construction work of the first phase of the Rashakai SEZ will be completed in March.

The spokesperson noted an important part of Rashakai SEZ Phase I construction is power transmission and transformation, and that construction work is in full swing.

“The construction work is nearing completion. This is our achievement and a moment of excitement for all project team,” said Engr. Samee Ullah, electrical engineer and external affairs director at the Rashakai SEZ project and recipient of the award for outstanding Pakistani staff in CPEC projects 2022.

In his role, Engr. Ullah is mainly responsible for overseeing the construction of a 132kV grid station and 11kV distribution network at the Rashakai Special Economic Zone.

At the initial stage, the power transmission and transformation work hit snags due to inadequate information about the local power grid, causing a delay in the compilation of the System Study Report, which required a detailed plan of project design and construction.

However, Engr. Samee Ullah quickly stepped up to the challenge after joining the project team in May 2021. “I collected and studied a large amount of project data, and actively discussed with the project team on the response plan using my own learning and experience,” Samee Ullah told CEN proudly, “I also worked closely with the local power department to find the best solution and gain official approval.”

During the construction of the SEZ, Ullah was meticulous about details. He carried out various on-site inspections and proposed efficient and effective solutions to any problems that arose. To ensure on-site construction quality and efficiency, the detail-minded engineer would explain the design drawings to the on-site personnel and clarify the design intent.

Samee Ullah told CEN that as the Rashakai SEZ nears completion, the main tasks will be to make standard procedures, rules and regulations for enterprises. “To achieve the above goals, we have to go through a lot of technical, commercial and legal procedures which may take some time, but we are pretty much hopeful and determined for this.”

“Right now, several enterprises entered into zone and performing their own construction in the SEZ. So, this is just beginning!” Samee Ullah exclaimed.