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Sunday, January 02, 2011
Ashraf blames previous govt for energy crisis
* Minister says past regime did not add a single MW to national grid * 1,800MW have been added to main power system through IPPsStaff Report
LAHORE: Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Saturday inaugurated the 201MW Reshma Power Plant, which is currently contributing 40MW of electricity as test generation to the national grid, in Raiwind on Saturday.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the minister blamed the previous government for the energy crisis in the country, saying that that energy had been the greatest challenge for the government, which it had inherited from the previous regime. “The failure of the past government is manifested from the fact that it did not add even a single megawatt to the national grid, thus widening the power supply and demand gap in the country,” Ashraf said.
“We have to overcome this difficulty by providing a road-map to pull the country out of the energy crises,” he said. The minister said that that present government had undertaken various mega hydel power projects, an inexpensive means of energy, including the Neelum-Jhelum power station, Diamir-Bhasha Dam, Dasoo Dam, Bunji Dam and a hydel project at Kohala. Since the hydel power projects require eight to nine years for completion, he said, the government had initiated a number of alternative projects of renewable energy to narrow down the electricity demand-generation gap to keep the industry moving.
The minister said the Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government had also put the non-functioning or dysfunctional independent power producers (IPPs) on a ‘fast track’ to ensure their smooth generation. “So far, we have managed to add 1,800MW to the main power system through these initiatives,” he said.
“Unlike the previous regime, our government has taken the initiative to take optimum benefit from Thar coal, and we have come a long way as several companies are working on this vital project, Ashraf added.
Talking to the media at the end of the ceremony, he said, though the rental power plants (RPPs) are an expensive source of energy as compared to the IPPs and hydel power generation, but they are better than non-availability of energy, which would ultimately hamper the country’s industry and other important sectors.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk