Pakistan plans 143,310 megawatt by 2030

Islamabad: Pakistan government has decided to attract $150 billion investment to generate additional power of 143,310 megawatt by 2030.

Informed sources said the government is said to have directed the Planning Commission to prepare proposals to have $150 billion investment ($50 billion by the public sector and $100 billion by the private sector) having specific targets and plans to be given to the ministries and other concerned agencies.

The commission in this behalf has completed its initial work under Energy Security Action Plan 2005-2030 in line with the recommendations contained in the mid term review of the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) conducted in May this year.

It has been decided that there will be maximum utlisation of indigenous natural resources in oil & gas, power, nuclear, alternative energy and energy conservation. In the oil and gas, there will be fast track work to maximise exploration which included a number of exploratory and development wells to be drilled to have at least 150-200 wells per year.

Expediting development of deeper reserves of Sui, Tal (Kohat), construction of any gas pipeline from Iran, Qatar and Turkeministan, increasing strategic oil reserves to 45 days from the present level of 20 days, managing gas from dormant fields to be utilised as CNG for supply to far flung areas, establishing economic size refineries (coastal at Khalifa point preferably as joint venture with China and at Kohat to refine crude from Tal field) and the coal share to be increased to at least 19 per cent (about 20,000MW) by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2050) have also been included in the plan.

In the power sector, there will be an accelerated investigation on Skardu/Katzara for its construction while Wapda will undertake a study to maximising hydel power generation from all rivers particularly mighty rivers. The programme also includes early undertaking of small and medium scale dams like Thakot (500MW) on fact track basis by encouraging joint venture of Wapda, NWFP government and the private parties.

It has been proposed by the Planning Commission to take a decision immediately on the mode of financing for execution of Neelum Jhelum power project. For double digit growth of large scale manufacturing, Wapda, KESC and Pakistan Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) were urged to respond to the challenge of undertaking and completing oil and gas projects on fast track basis to meet the additional demand.

The ministry of petroleum and natural resources had been directed to encourage public-private partnership or Built Operate Transfer programme (BOT) for power generation on canals.