Government to promote alternative energy

Government to Promote Alternative Energy

The Ministry of Water and Power was committed to promote alternative energy to overcome the acute shortage of energy and to meet the growing demand of electricity in the country. Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said this while talking to Tariq Sayeed, President Saarc Chamber and former President FPCCI who called on him here along with Zubair Ahmed Malik, former Vice President FPCCI.

Tariq Sayeed invited the attention of the minister towards the problems being faced by the companies which although had been given letter of intents by the government and not been provided land to install wind turbines. He requested the minister to pay special attention to resolve this issue and review policy on alternative energy as the country has not been able to produce even single unit of electricity while neighbour country was generating 8,000 MW through wind power projects.

He was of the opinion that a huge potential in wind and solar energy exists in Pakistan, which needs to be tapped in true spirit and the success depends upon the reviewing of policies in compatible to the requirements of investors. The minister was agreed to the proposal and assured all possible co-operation to tap the potential of this non-conventional source of energy. He also suggested electrifying off-grid areas by solar energy.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Sunday constituted a four-member committee for evaluation of reserves of coal in Thar area. He formed the body at the first meeting of the Sindh Coal and Energy Board (SCEB), chaired by him at the Chief Minister House here.

Federal Secretary for Water and Power, Muhammad Ismail Qureshi, member SCEB, Syed Asad Ali Shah, Managing Director SCEB, Aslam Sanjrani and Secretary Mines Sindh, Younis Dagha will be members of the recently formed body.

Besides Sindh CM, who is also the Chairman of Sindh Coal and Energy Board, the Federal Minister for Water and Power and Vice-Chairman Thar Coal Energy Board, Raja Pervez Ashraf and other members of the Board were also present.

After the meeting, Syed Qaim Ali Shah briefed the media about the details of the meeting. He said after the Washington Conference the interests of foreign investors have developed in the project for electricity generation from Thar Coal, which, he added, the meeting reviewed.

He said that another conference about investment is going to be held at Hong Kong for which the invitation has also been received. Syed Qaim Ali Shah said there is no law and order problem in Sindh while electricity and other infrastructure also exist. Air travelling facilities will also be provided at Thar and the work is going to start on the project without any delay, he added.

He said Jahangir Siddiqi & Company, Engro Group, Al-Tawariqi Group of Saudi Arabia, Lucky Group, Giga Group of UAE and Metal Investment Company of UAE have showed interests in carrying out evaluation of Thar coal.

Later, talking to media, the Federal Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf, said total 16,000 mega watt electricity will be needed in Pakistan in the year 2016.

He said an emergency long-term and short-term policy has been devised to fulfil the energy needs of the country. Under the policy, the agreements are being signed to purchase 1100 MW electricity from Iran and the Middle East, he said. He said that a Turkish company will start generation of 6 to 50 MW electricity from the 'wind mill' within next six weeks.

Raja Pervez Ashraf said due to increase in petroleum prices the attention was being paid to other sources for power generation and coal and wind power generation were an important element in it.

He said it is our luck that the reserves of about 175 billion tonnes coal exist in Thar through which inexpensive electricity will be available to Pakistan. The Sindh chief minister said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had started work to utilise Thar coal in 1994, but after discontinuation of our party's government the work on Keti Bander and Thar coal was stopped.

He said the government intends to launch projects to generate 6,000 MW electricity in next three years. To a question, Raja Pervez Ashraf said after the recent rains, the situation of rivers in the country has improved and, therefore, the electricity generation will also be enhanced, which will help minimise load-shedding in the coming days.

He informed that the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) was being given 500 to 700 MW electricity daily. In the coming days after a change in the KESC management the power load-shedding in metropolis will be reduced.

Earlier, the meeting was attended by Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission Pakistan, Salman Farooqi, members SCEB, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Asad Ali Shah, and others.