Pak Power Ministry to build two CC power plants

Islamabad: The water and power ministry has decided to set up two combined cycle power plants of 700 MW and 800 MW at Guddu, replacing the existing steam units, sources in PPIB told Business Recorder on Wednesday.

The PPIB board had been briefed a couple of months ago that by diverting 138 mmcfd gas presently being used in old low efficiency (30 percent) steam units 1-4 of Guddu thermal power station, a modern state-of-the-art combined cycle power plant can be set up with the efficiency of over 52 percent, the sources added.

Sources said the PPIB was of the view that this strategy would increase generation capacity to around 700 MW compared to 430 MW de-rated capacity of present units.

The board was also briefed about the various options in this regard ie project development as an IPP on International Competitive Bidding (ICB), project development by Wapda in the public sector. Another option, which was considered by the board, was setting up the project as a joint venture with the private sector and development of two projects one as an IPP on ICB and the other in the private sector.

The board deliberated the proposal in detail and asked the water and power ministry to review various options and decide the way forward for efficient use of gas presently being used in low efficiency Guddu steam units. Sources said that units 1 and 2, commissioned in 1974, were no more efficient as their capacity has de-rated from 110 MW to 75 MW while efficiency of units 3 and 4 has been reduced to 140 MW from 210 MW.

Wapda was of the opinion that refurbishment of de-rated units would not only a costlier proposal, but also unreliable which should be avoided. Sources said when the proposal was placed before Water and Power Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi, he consulted the PPIB and Wapda and decided that one project should be set up in the private sector on ICB and one in the public sector.