ISLAMABAD: 1,230 megawatts Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) based power project in Haveli Bahadur Shah has started generating electricity with world’s highest efficiency rate of 62.5 percent. Minister for Energy (Power Division) Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari announced this while chairing the 116th meeting of the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB).
He said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has greatly served Pakistan in securing self-reliance in power sector while its full scale implementation would deliver fruitful results in every nook and corner of our country.
“After controlling blackouts, we have come out of crisis mode and now the prime focus remains on attaining energy security. Our end dream is to ensure affordability in arranging future capacity additions for which hydro, coal, solar and wind assets are particularly vital which are abundantly available across the country and enough to provide round-the-clock power supply for a long time,” he said. The board also reviewed progress of under implementation power and transmission line projects which include CPEC and non-CPEC projects, while overall demand-supply situation of the country also came under discussion.
Managing Director PPIB Shah Jahan Mirza said the PPIB has so far successfully handled the CPEC energy programme of the of the government and has already delivered success stories by declaring commercial operation dates (CODs) of 1,320MW Sahiwal and 1,320MW Port Qasim coal-based power projects, while majority of projects are either under construction or under financial closing stages. The meeting’s particular focus was on Thar coal mining and power generation projects being set up in the Tharparkar which is emerging as energy capital of Pakistan, courtesy the CPEC.
In a bid to facilitate independent power producers (IPPs) in accomplishing various activities, the board granted guidance and way forward leading to their smooth, quick and effective implementation.
The board agreed to allow extensions in financial closing dates of 1,320MW Thar coal based power project at Thar Block-I by Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Company Limited and 700MW Azad Pattan Hydropower Project at River Jhelum on the dual boundary of Rawalpindi and district Sudhnoti, AJK.
Leghari said that in 2013 every sector of Pakistan was in bad state, but power sector was worst. He said that considering the complexity of crisis and its serious ramifications, a number of measures were taken to ensure availability of electricity at affordable cost to industry, agriculture, commercial enterprises and domestic consumers. He said the efforts of current government for transforming miseries of the nation into comfort have borne fruit and power generation projects are an example of its own with regard to their advantages for the masses.
