PM directs solar power to off grid villages

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday directed the ministries of finance and water and power to provide solar electricity to villages of the far flung areas, which were located away from the national grid. Prime minister gave this direction while chairing a meeting to review the renewable energy development projects on Tuesday. He said the government has initiated a number of projects in the power sector to overcome energy shortages in the country. He said apart from hydel power generation, the country possessed enormous potential of power generation through other renewable energy resources of wind, solar, geo-thermal and bio-fuel energy. He said wind energy could produce 350,000 MW, solar 2.9 million MW and geo-thermal 2,500 MW.
Chief Executive Officer Alternate Energy Development Board, Arif Alludin said in view of the vast potential of the renewable energy in the country, this sector has become investor’s choice. Private sector was already investing for generating 1500 MW of electricity through these resources. He apprised the meeting that projects of 400 MW would start this year and the units would start generating electricity early next year. He said the project of 150 MW of wind Jhimpir in the province of Sindh is already under construction and would start operation during the first half of 2012. Waste to energy sector projects are under various stages of development and would start production of electricity in the next two years.
PM directed to provide solar electricity to villages of the far flung areas, which were located away from the national grid, when CEO ADEB informed it was a cost-effective project for the remote villages and will be instrumental in social development through poverty alleviation and job creation. PM also directed off-grid application like solar water heater, biogas and water pumping be implemented through renewable resource. Its application would result in significant saving of gas, electricity and also provide organic fertilisers for the farmers, he said. The meeting was attended by minister for water and power, minister for finance, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Senator Syeda Sugra Imam, secretaries of ministries of water and power, EAD, finance, planning and development, petroleum and natural resources and other senior officials.