Private sector to add 3,480 MW to national grid

Islamabad: The private sector will add a total of 3,480 megawatt electricity in the national grid to overcome prevailing power crisis in the country, said Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.

'A total of 2,380 MW will be added in the system by next year, while another 1,100 MW will be injected into the national grid the following year,' said the minister.

While chairing the 77th meeting of Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB). He said due to improper planning of the past government, the people are facing acute power shortages resulting in the menace of load shedding, which is not only a nightmare to the common man, but is also creating a huge loss to the national economy.

He said the government realises the importance of the power sector, and that is why, soon after taking charge, the new government has been taking immediate measures to induct electricity into the system in the coming years.

The minister lauded the efforts of the PPIB team for materialising the fast track initiative of the government, where an interest of around 3,000 MW was received during the competitive bidding of 1,500 MW fast track projects.

He said the government adopted transparent process while short-listing the companies for these projects, adding that eight projects with a cumulative capacity of 1,366 MW will be commissioned in 2009-10 to eliminate load shedding in the country by next year.

Raja Ashraf said the government believed in facilitating the investors, and does not want them to face any hurdles or delays during the processing of their projects. He said in order to make electricity affordable, an energy mix is utmost necessary, and therefore we are stressing the use of indigenous resource like hydropower and our local coal at Thar, as well as imported coal.

The meeting was attended by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Ahmad Waqar, Secretary Planning Commission Suhail Safdar, Acting Secretary Petroleum and Natural Resources G.A. Sabri, Wapda Chairman Shakil Durrani and PPIB Managing Director Fayyaz Elahi, besides other senior government officials.