Pakistan heralds benefits of IPI pipeline

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TEHRAN, May 27 (UPI) -- Natural gas imported from Iran through the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline will generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity for Pakistan, advisers said.

Asim Hussain, the top energy adviser to Islamabad, warned the project was imperative as his country receives about half of the current natural gas needs.

Hussain led a delegation to Tehran during the weekend to hammer out agreements on the long-delayed IPI project, dubbed the Peace Pipeline.

The IPI pipeline would travel from the South Pars gas field in Iran to Pakistani markets. India's role in the project remains uncertain, though New Delhi announced in the wake of the weekend agreement it was still interested in the pipeline.

Hussain said the implementation of the project was important if Pakistan is to stave off an energy crisis, the semiofficial Petroenergy Information Network in Iran reports.

"Pakistan can face a grave energy crisis if we are not able to materialize this pipeline project," he said.

He added if India does not join the project, a separate line would be needed.

A bilateral agreement between the Iranian National Oil Co. and the Interstate Gas System of Pakistan secures 2.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day for Pakistan for the next 25 years.