Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) is working to complete six power projects to inject 1,100MW in the national grid by end of the year 2018.
PPIB is actively pursuing the sponsors to complete the projects within the prescribed time frame in order to meet the future requirements, an official said.
According to details, 404MW Uch-II power project is likely to start its operation by December this year while 163MW Granage Holding by October 2014 and 134MW Star power project by July 2016. The expected commercial operation date of 147MW Patrind hydropower project at AJK is April 2017, 100MW Gulpur Hydropwer project is December 2017, and 130MW Sehra Hydropower project at AJK is December 2018.
After completion, these projects would produce cheaper electricity for the consumers and help to change the current energy mix.
PPIB has already completed 29 power project and added more than 8,500MW in the national grid. All the private sector hydro IPPs are being processed through PPIB and first hydro power IPP was completed through PPIB was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif couple of weeks before in AJK.
The major focus of the PPIB was on development of hydropower and coal based projects in future and it is working on various projects which are in different stages of implementation. It has completed feasibility study of 3,162MW hydropower projects while the study in process for 1,106MW hydropower projects. Hydropower is the best available option in the recent scenario of meeting challenges of projected future energy demands of our country as it is sustainable, reliable, renewable, clean, low cost and indigenous thus can be the principal source of energy. As per latest updated documents published by PPIB “Hydropower Resources of Pakistan”, the country has potential of 60,000MW hydropower generation which could be economically harnessed. The government has now taken a number of initiatives to remove all the factors hampering IPPs in developing hydropower projects.
