Govt to support wind turbines production: minister

Karachi: Sindh Minister for Environment and Alternate Energy Askari Taqvi has said that the government would provide all possible support to joint ventures between international and local companies for manufacturing wind turbines in Pakistan.

He said this while addressing an International Conference on Energy Crisis in Pakistan held in a local hotel here on Tuesday. The conference was held in connection with the second anniversary of monthly magazine Energy Update.

The minister claimed that the foreign manufacturers were delaying supply of wind turbines to wind projects in the country for three years and beyond without any proper reasons.

'If we can locally produce wind turbines with foreign collaboration in the country, the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) can install their wind mills easily and quickly,' said Taqvi.

Minister assured the investors in windmill projects that Sindh government would provide them all necessary infrastructure facilities including land, utilities and others. The government would also allow 100 percent repatriation of profits and technical fee, he maintained.

Taqvi said that the government is ready to host meetings of foreign manufacturers of wind turbines with local entrepreneurs. He said that India is generating 8,000 MW from windmills while Pakistan is so far away in the field from its neighbour country.

Minister said that an action plan was being prepared by his ministry to ensure effective implementation of environmental laws and discourage pollution in the province.

Under the action plan, he said, provincial Environment Protection Agency (EPA) would increase interaction with all stakeholders and take them on board to discourage environment pollution.

The minister was of the view that EPA has to create erroneousness among the society about the benefits of healthy environment and demerits of environment pollution. Earlier, various speakers including managing editor Energy Update Naeem Qureshi, CEO Concept Industrial Management Ltd Robert D Orr, executive director PSO Kaleem Siddiqui, managing director Progas Abbass Bilgrami, CEO KITE Ltd Abdul Haseeb Khan, chairman National Forum For Environment and Health Dr Qaiser Waheed, chief corporate consultant Al-Tuwairqi Steel Dr Sajid Hassan and other experts spoke at the conference.