News
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
1,200MW to be added to national grid by year-end, says Ashraf* Federal minister says government trying to complete Neelum-Jehlum Hydel Power Project as early as possible
By Zeeshan Javaid
ISLAMABAD: Another 1,200 megawatts (MW) will be added to the national grid by the end of this year, which will increase electricity production from independent power producers (IPP) to 2,465MW, as agreed in the 2002 Power Policy, Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Monday.
He made these remarks while chairing the 85th meeting of the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB). Ashraf told the participants of the meeting that seven projects of 1,265MW, including a rental power plant of 62MW had been started in the last year and another 1,200MW would be added to the national grid by the end of this year, which would help decrease load shedding. The minister said that Pakistan and other regional countries were facing an energy crisis, which was leaving a bad impact on the national economy. “We believe that the crisis also brings opportunities in its own folds, and the decisions taken in the recent energy summit chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has encouraged the private sector for expediting the commissioning of their projects,” he added. Ashraf lauded the efforts of the PPIB for playing a vital role in attracting investment in the energy sector and appreciated its new initiatives, which included the launching of an ICB for a 300MW IPP based on RFO, which would be located near Lalian Town, Chiniot and another ICB for a 300MW IPP fueled by imported coal to be located at Sonda Jherruk, Sindh.
The representative of the Sarhad Hydel Development Organisation (SHYDO) told the participants of the meeting that the feasibility studies on small hydro power projects were continuing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and around 2,000MW would be produced by these projects in the next seven to eight years. The meeting also approved the issuance of a letter of intent (LOI) of a 1,000MW Thar coal fired power project, which would be established by the Engro Power Generation Limited (EPGL). The minister said that in order to make electricity affordable, the government was focusing on mixing energy sources such as hydro power, Thar coal and imported coal to produce cheaper electricity. Separately, the water and power minister said that the federal government was trying to complete the 969MW Neelum-Jehlum Hydel Power Project as early as possible. Ashraf said that the project would cost $2 billion.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk