News
Sunday, June 20, 2010
PEPCO to add 2,119MW to grid by June 2011* Nearly 1,000MW of electricity to be added to system in 2 months
* another 1,000MW by January 2011Staff Report
LAHORE: The Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) will generate more than 2,119 megawatts (MW) of electricity by June 2011 with the completion of 13 ongoing power generation projects, sources informed Daily Times on Saturday.
Rs 125 billion has been allocated for the power sector during 2010-11. The projects likely to be completed in August and September:
According to a PEPCO official, the Bhikki Power Project in Sheikhupura (oil and gas-based), with electricity generation capacity of 209 MW will be completed by September; Khan Khwar Hydropower Scheme, with a generation capacity of 72 MW will be completed in August; Rental Plant on Satiana Road with a generation capacity of 200 MW is likely to be completed by August; Hubco Narowal power project (oil-based) with a generation capacity of 214 MW will be completed in September; Liberty Power Tech Project, located near Faisalabad (oil and gas-based), having a generation capacity of 195 MW is likely to be completed by September and Tapal Rental Power Project in Kamoki (Oil-based) having a generation capacity of 70 MW is likely to be completed in September.
The projects likely to be completed in 2011: Jinnah Hydropower Project in Kalabagh Town, District Mianwali, with a generation capacity of 96 MW is likely to be completed by June 2011; Duber Khwar Hydropower Project with a 130-MW power generation capacity is likely to be completed by January 2011; Guddu Rehabilitation-I (gas-based) would add 198 MW by January 2011; Zorlu Energy Wind Project-I is expected to add 44 MW of electricity by January 2011; Nandipur Power Project with a 425-MW generation capacity is likely to be completed by April 2011, and the Bin Qasim Power Station-II (oil-based) in partnership with a Chinese firm, Harbin, having a generation capacity of 115.9MW is likely to be completed by January 2011, the PEPCO official said.
The work on the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, having a total installed capacity of 4,500 MW, is planned to be accelerated in 2010-11. It is located on the Indus River, 315 kilometres upstream of Tarbela Dam, 165 kilometres downstream of Gilgit and 40 kilometres downstream of Chilas.
Sources claimed that the installed power generation capacity is expected to increase from 22,176 MW in 2009-10 to 24,295 MW in 2010-11. This includes 420 MW through rental plants, 1,241 MW through IPPs, 298 MW through hydropower, 44 MW through wind power and 115.9 MW from the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC). Only one project of coal gasification (100 MW) in Thar was in the public sector while all others were in the private sector, the sources added.
PEPCO Managing Director (MD) Tahir Basharat Cheema informed the Senate Standing Committee on Finance that the government had chalked out a comprehensive multi-billion-dollar Public Sector Power Enhancement Plan 2010-15 that would add 10,000 MW to the system by 2015.
Cheema told the committee that the plan would be finalised by this month and its recommendations would be forwarded to the government for implementation. He said a list of the “US signature projects” (projects to be financed with the US assistance) is yet to be finalised.
Cheema informed the committee that a feasibility report to construct a 600-kilometre transmission line between Zahedan (Iran) to Quetta had been completed to import 1,000 MW of electricity from Iran. This project would cost $600 million and would be completed during the next four years.
He said a technical team from Pakistan comprising officials from NESPAK had already left for Tehran to discuss the outcome of the feasibility study with Iranian counterpart agency, so that a combined plan could be prepared for the execution of the project. Balochistan’s power demand will increase from the existing 850MW to 2000MW in the years to come, the PEPCO MD said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk