The story between Nouman Ali and China started when he came to China for study. Before he joined the Sahiwal Power Plant of China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. (China Huaneng), Ali spent three years in China studying for a master's degree in engineering, during which he was obsessed about learning Chinese language and the country's culture. He fell in love with China. In 2018, he realized his dream to join the plant, and successively worked in the maintenance and the fuel supply departments. Later, Ali was appointed to the position of assistant manager of the fuel supply department because of his outstanding performance.
"I have been working for the plant for almost four years, which is very helpful for my career development. It is a valuable experience for me to study in a Chinese university and work for a Chinese company. My Chinese friends and colleagues have been very friendly to me and I have always been a strong supporter of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative. I believe that my country will benefit from the CPEC projects that have played a key role in boosting development of energy, traffic infrastructure and special economic zones in Pakistan. I am happy to be a part of the CPEC projects. The power plant has provided many opportunities to improve our abilities and I am proud and honored to work here," Ali said.
Pakistani employees working at the Sahiwal Power Plant of China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. pose for a picture. [Photo provided to sasac.gov.cn]
Muhammad Muneeb who now works in the operation department of the power plant was born in a small and remote village in Pakistan. Poverty has been engraved in his heart since he was a child.
The turning point of his life was in 2015 when he graduated from university and was recruited by the power plant after intense competition. In November 2015, he went to China for training with 57 Pakistani employees. China Huaneng's subsidiary in East China's Shandong Province was responsible for the training. After nine months of training, Muneeb returned to Sahiwal Power Plant, gradually growing from a graduate to a key operator of the 660-megawatt generator unit. Muneeb said that since he was promoted in both his position and income his family's living quality has become better. His fate and that of his family have been changed.
Today, more than half of the employees at the power plant are local Pakistanis. The project has contributed to cultivating highly-skilled talents with international vision who are good at thermal power management. As more Pakistani workers come up for recruitment at the plant, more and more Pakistani employees like Ali and Muneeb will be working at senior positions and achieving higher goals in their lives.
The Sahiwal Power Plant is one of the first CPEC projects to be developed and the first large power source project under CPEC that was put into operation. It contributes one-fourth of the country's power supply and set a record in the construction speed of China's overseas power projects. At present, the power plant has generated 41.3 billion kilowatt-hours of power and contributed $660 million in taxes, which boosted the country's economic development.
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
