Overcoming energy crisis is necessary in order to achieve the targets of economic development, said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday while presiding over a meeting to review pace of implementation of energy projects in Punjab.
Additional Chief Secretary Energy Jehanzeb Khan gave a briefing on progress of energy projects.
He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government was taking serious measures for resolving energy crisis and work would be carried out speedily on energy projects in the province.
He said the government’s untiring efforts will remove darkness of load shedding from the cities and villages of the country.
“Authorities are working speedily on solar project of 1,000 megawatt in Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur,” he said.
He further said the government had planned the setting up of power houses of 1200 megawatt capacity that will operate on gas.
He said work on a project of 300 megawatt electricity power house to be operated on local coal was in progress in Salt Range, adding that the government was also working on small solar projects throughout the province.
He said there was a capacity of generation of 800 to 1,000 megawatt electricity with wind in Punjab and four sites had been identified for the purpose.
The chief minister directed that timely completion of energy projects should be ensured at any cost.
He said that completion of a number of energy projects till the end of 2017 would help to end energy crisis.
He said that besides increasing production of electricity, energy conservation was also essential.
He directed that a comprehensive plan be evolved and presented in the next two weeks regarding energy conservation.