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PM inaugurates power plant
LAHORE : Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Saturday said the government has prepared a comprehensive plan to double the power generation capacity of the country within in next ten years by initiating projects that could add a minimum of 20,000 MW by the year 2020.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of 225 MW Orient Combined Cycle Power Plant at Baloki, District Kasur the Prime Minister said it is the vision of the government to double the power generation capacity of the country within the next ten years that will be in addition to the projects already under implementation.
The Prime Minister said "20,000 MW addition by 2020 program" will comprise 6,000 MW on hydro; 6,000 MW on coal; 5,000 MW on gas, 1,000 MW on Naptha and other indigenous fuels and the remainder 2,000 MW from alternative energy resources, especially solar and wind.
The Prime Minister said while translating the vision 2020 into reality, the present government had so far added a total of 1,708 MW of generation capacity through a combination of Hydel and thermal sources which includes rehabilitated capacity of the existing Generation Companies (GENCOs).
He said additionally another 2,795 MW of capacity additions are likely to be completed by December this year with an investment equal to US$ 5 billion by the end of this year.
He said, "We will ensure maximum efficiency gains in our generation, transmission and distribution systems."
The Prime Minister said the government will add to conservation drive through induction of energy savers, solarization of water heating and irrigation pumps.
He said the 225 MW Orient Combined Cycle Power Plant at Baloki, District Kasur, is the fifth power plant after the Attock Power, Atlas Power, Nishat Power and Korangi Combined Cycle Power Plant launched by the present government in just one and half year.
He appreciated the intention of the sponsors to launch the second phase of the plant as soon as the gas supply can be confirmed.
Referring to constrained in supply of gas, the Prime Minister said the government has been making earnest efforts to import gas from the neighbouring countries which will primarily be dedicated to the power sector.
He thanked the primary sponsors of the project including the Omani Government, through Oman Oil Company-and the German Government - through its Development Finance Institution DEG.
"We cherish our relationship with both the friendly countries. Germany and Oman, and projects like these are a demonstration of our commitment to foster economic ties amongst our respective governments," he added.
The Prime Minister said most of the projects implemented have been financed with local bank debt, which in the longer term, is good for the economy because it reduces foreign exchange burden.
He said focusing on the country's indigenous resources will not only decrease the burden on balance of payments but will also lower the cost of electricity generation and provide the much needed relief to the people of Pakistan.
"We also intend completing the projects designed to import hydro electricity from Central Asia and other regional countries as part of low - carbon strategies," he added.
Prime Minister Gilani said 17 mega transmission system projects have been completed from early 2008 to June 2010 at a total cost of Rs.18 billion which reflects substantial achievement in comparison to earlier 10 years.
He said these works have been completed through self-financing and developmental loans made available by donor agencies.
He said the government's recent energy conservation measures have led to reduction of peak demand of over 1,000 MW resulting in mitigation of power crisis during the current summer.
The Prime Minister said financially translated, the conservation comes to Rs. 40 million of saving each day, besides bringing discipline to load management activity.
He said the Energy Summit held in April 2010 has clipped an evening demand approximately between 1000-1500 MW leading to a saving of Rs. 65 million each day.
The Prime Minister expressed the hope the people of Pakistan would appreciate that the present government reached political consensus for putting in place all conservation measures which have considerably decreased power outages.
He thanked the countrywide business community, traders and shopkeepers for supporting government's power conservation action plan by ensuring closure of their business places at specific time agreed between them and the respective Provincial Governments.
Gilani said he was satisfied to note that Orient Power Plant shall not only give a boost to PEPCO's power generation output, but shall also be a major source of industrial and economic development of the area.
Referring to the power crisis, the Prime Minister said it was the PPP government's initiative in the nineties that brought forward the private generation through Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and added that today, after more than a decade, the IPPs have established credibility and had become successful partners to the government in power generation.
The Prime Minister said the government has taken many short, medium and long - term measures to overcome power shortages - and amongst its medium term proposals to tide over power crisis is to set up Independent Power Plants (IPPs) that certainly would boost national power grid for provision of uninterrupted power supply to all segments of our society.
Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf while speaking on the occasion highlighted various priorities of the government to improve power generation.
He also gave details of the measures being taken by the government to face the loadshedding and improve power generation with the help of private sector and international community.
Governor Punjab Salman Taseer, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other officials also attended the inauguration ceremony of the Orient Power project.
