Pakistan's Energy & Water - News and Updates

[Cyberian]

‘Uplift projects worth Rs 260bn completed in southern Punjab’
Tuesday, March 05, 2013

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government completed development projects worth Rs 260 billion during the last five years in southern Punjab, which are six times more than the amount spent by the previous government.

Addressing a ceremony to distribute laptops among more than 4,000 students at the auditorium of Islamia University Bahawalpur, the chief minister said that the Punjab government had spent Rs 111 billion on education throughout the province, whereas the previous government spent only Rs 11 billion.

He said that an investment of Rs 50 billion had been made during last five years in Bahawlapur division, under which Daanish Schools in Rahim Yar Khan, Chishtian and Hasilpur; women colleges; flyovers; mobile hospitals; network of roads; 410-bed District Headquarter Hospital Bahawalpur; and other welfare projects had been completed.

Addressing the students, Shahbaz disclosed that laptops worth Rs 8 billion had been distributed among 225,000 students on merit during the last two years. “If only five percent [of the recipients] became Arfa Karim, the destiny of Pakistan will change.”

He said that investment on youth would create a new Pakistan and “these students will develop a formula to eliminate corruption through these laptops”.

Shahbaz said that all projects, including the Metro Bus Service of international standard, laptops, Ujala Programme and solar energy system, had been presented to the Transparency International for an impartial audit. He said that if corruption of even a single penny was proved, he and all government departments would be accountable to the nation.

He said that the PML-N government, with the collaboration of Germany, had started a 400MW solar energy project with an investment of $1.5 billion in Cholistan, which would start production within one-and-a-half years.

The CM said that if the provincial government could take steps for the elimination of load shedding with foreign investment for the welfare of the masses, why the Centre was sleeping during the last five years. He said that youth were builders of the nation and “these shining stars will bring the country out of darkness and restore its image in the comity of nations by taking correct decisions in the upcoming election.”

Shahbaz said that development projects launched in Punjab were started in Bahawalpur, which proved that the government had paid special attention to southern Punjab.

He said that the country’s current rulers ha made the government a beggar, but the PML-N would change all that. “We should pledge that such a leadership would be elected in the upcoming election that breaks the begging bowl and be answerable to the people.”

Later, the CM inaugurated the Civil Hospital completed at a cost of Rs 3 billion. Addressing on the occasion, he said that the hospital equipped with latest treatment facilities was a gift to the people of Bahawalpur.

He said that every penny looted by the rulers in the centre would be recovered. He reiterated that if an opportunity was given, Nawaz Sharif and his government would eliminate darkness.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

Int’l co vows to address energy scarcity by employing latest tech
Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: An international energy solutions company based in Europe is gearing up to help the local business community by offering latest and low cost energy solutions in Pakistan.

Saeed Zuberi CEO of Tameer Energy a group company of Tameer Foundation said his Company intended to introduce state-of-the-art technology developed by National Aeronauticsand Space Administration (NASA) engineers.

The technology has not been employed anywhere in the world which I wanted to introduce in collaboration with Planetary Power Incorp, a US-based company working on cutting-edge technology in the energy sector, he said.

Saeed Zuberi accompanying by Angus Jackson Director Planetary Power visited the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry told the business community more solar energy reaches the earth’s surface in two hours than the total energy consumed by humans in an entire year.

Among other projects Tameer Foundation is credited with its reconstruction efforts after the floods of 2010 and 2011.

With the right technology solar energy is easy to capture and use, our ability to harness the sun’s energy is crucial for our civilisation’s survival as well as current and future prosperity.

Our hybrid technology is highly dependable which can cut electricity and maintenance costs by 50 percent while it can be monitored and controlled through satellite, landline or a mobile phone, he explained.

The ultra-modern diesel and solar powered electricity generation units can be installed in villages with no access to national power grid and small businesses, which are easily upgradeable, he added.

He informed he had a detailed meeting with energy officials of the federal and provincial governments whose response was encouraging.

Angus Jackson said we would like to use Pakistan as a production hub for his Company’s units workable with any fuel and at any altitude, which would not only help masses overcome energy issues but would also initiate exports to regional markets.

Pakistan is best suited for such operations as what we see in media about this country in west is contrary to the situation, said Jackson.

Zafar Bakhtawari President ICCI said construction of Kalabagh Dam could have addressed the issue, which was put on the backburner while pace of development on the other mega projects is unsatisfactory.

Anyone who can help us address energy issue will be our friend and hero while those pushing country to darkness could never be our friends as they contribute to the sufferings of communities and commerce.

Malik Sohail and others members of FPCCI said we want power with unmatched efficiency without the compromises associated with traditional renewable.

We welcome the initiative to bridge gap between renewable energy and fossil fuel powered power plants and assured all out cooperation to the visiting experts, said Sohail.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

PPL clinches 11 exploration blocks
Tuesday, March 12, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Aligned with its aggressive exploration programme to optimise production and reserves replenishment of hydrocarbons, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) won provisional grant of 11 strategically fit exploration blocks offered in the latest bidding round held on March 10 at the Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Islamabad, it was learnt on Monday.

The blocks won by PPL are located variously in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan. The company has committed a total of 6,445 work units, which translate into a minimum financial obligation of $64.45 million, though actual investment would be significantly higher on discharging the work commitment.

To engage a multinational exploration and production (E&P) company in the bidding round, PPL submitted two joint bids with OMV (Pakistan) Exploration GmbH. Notably, the Austrian E&P company will operate one of the two blocks, marking a first in recent years that a multinational E&P has ventured into the country as operator, a move likely to draw more multinationals to the local E&P sector. (PPL was instrumental in bringing OMV to Pakistan during the 1989 bid round and has since partnered with the company in successful ventures, including Sawan, Miano, Latif and Tajjal fields.)

Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources offered 58 exploration blocks in the latest bidding round. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

WAPDA initiates Rs 8.6bn water logging project
Saturday, March 16, 2013

LAHORE: Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on Friday said Muzaffar Garh Canal Lining Project has been started to control water logging in Muzaffar Garh district of Punjab province. Lining of Muzaffar Garh Canal and other remedial measures would be completed in two years with an estimated cost of Rs 8.66 billion.

The former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar jointly performed groundbreaking of the project. WAPDA Chairman Syed Raghib Shah was also present on the occasion. Ms Khar said the project would significantly contribute towards socio-economic uplift of the people by boosting agriculture and reducing poverty in the area. Counting on the advantages, she said annual benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs 1.68 billion. The twin menace of water logging and salinity has been on the rise in Muzaffar Garh district due to excessive seepage from Muzaffar Garh and Taunsa-Panjnad Link canals since completion of Taunsa Barrage in 1958, depriving the people of their cultivable land. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

Making energy from waste : 25 MW Rachna Power Plant on the cards
Saturday, March 16, 2013

Staff Report

LAHORE: National Industrial Parks (NIP) Development and Management Company has decided to establish a 25 megawatt (MW) power generation plant based on municipal and agro waste besides local coal or combination of these fuels for the electricity requirement of the industries at the Rachna Industrial Park on the main Lahore-Sheikhupura Road.

The Rachna Power Plant will be the first-ever power unit to be developed on the basis of waste as a source of energy. The plant’s primary fuel will be Refused Derive Fuel (RDF) prepared from a mixture of municipal solid wastes and agro wastes, while the coal would be used as a backup fuel.

The technology of an integrated recovery of recyclable materials and production of the refused derive fuel will be adopted for this power plant.

The concept of the modern waste to energy plant has been proposed for the Rachna Power Plant, which is very different from the old incinerators due to the technological progress of the last decade.

Chief Executive Officer Mohsin Syed at NIP meeting in which investors of the Rechna Industrial Park were also present said the municipal solid waste of Lahore and surrounding area and the agro wastes, which including rice husk, corn and wood waste of the adjoining areas would be collected and transported to recycle it into a real fuel that could be easily stored, transported and efficiently burned at the plant site within the premises of the Rachna Industrial Park.

He said the power generation complex was proposed to consist of one unit of 6 MW and two units of 11 MW each with total gross capacity of the 28 MW and the net capacity at site would be 25.5 MW to provide operational flexibility and reliability in case of shut down of one or more units.

The power generation facility would be located within the premises of the Rachna Industrial Park located at 7.5 kilometers (km) Lahore-Sheikhupura Road on the Upper Chenab Canal. The site is at the distance of 18 km from theLahore-Shekhupura Motorway Interchange, 24 km from the Lahore city centre and 40 km from the Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore and an area of 10 acres has already been earmarked for the power generation complex at the Rachna Industrial Park, the NIP chief explained.

The aim of the Rachna power project is to reduce pollution, preserve the fossil fuel, reduce the greenhouse gases and protect the ozone layer by utilizing the wastes collected from the cities of Lahore, Sheikhupura and surrounding areas for power generation, he said. For environmental standpoint, the Rachna Power Plant will be highly desirable.

The project will be designed on the basis of zero discharge by installing an on-site evaporation pond and air emission from the plant would meet quality standards prevailing anywhere in the world. Emission will be much lower than the World Bank’s guidelines due to the use of Circulating Fluidised Bed combustion with lime dosing to neutralise any SO2 emission. Socially, the project will be providing job opportunities to the people of the area, he concluded.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

Meeting with financers of hydropower projects
‘Govt will complete 1,205 MW hydropower projects in time’
Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The government will complete the Neelum-Jhelum, Golen Gol and Dubair Khawar hydropower projects within the stipulated time frame and resolve the issues related to any of these projects.

This assurance was given by the Ministry of Water and Power Secretary Sikander Ahmed Rai while chairing a meeting with visiting Joint Supervisory Mission (JSM) of lead financers of three hydropower projects on Monday. The consortium includes representatives from Islamic Development Bank, Saudi Fund Development, Kuwait Fund Development and OPEC. The meeting was also attended by Ministry of Water and Power additional secretary, WAPDA chairman and senior officials of Neelum-Jhelum, Golen Gol and Dubair Khawar projects and Ministry of Water and Power.

Rai said that the government has also allocated funds for the projects and financial support of the donors would help to complete the project in time. He said that the progress on three projects was being reviewed and monitored regularly. Pakistan is facing energy shortage and timely completion of these projects would help to bridge the gap between demand and supply.

Earlier, the WAPDA chairman briefed the JSM that Khan Khwar hydropower project of 72 megawatts (MW) and Allai Khwar hydropower project of 122 MW have been completed. The remaining three projects of 1,205 MW will be completed as per their schedule. Dubair Khwar hydropower project will be completed by June this year, Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower project of 969 MW by 2016 and Golen Gol project of 106 MW would be completed by 2015. He also informed that the government has recently approved Rs 24 billion for Neelum-Jhelum project. He said that 47 percent work on tunnel boring has been completed on Neelum-Jhelum project.

The JSM appreciated the progress on three projects and stated that the consortium of financers would continue its support for energy projects. The JSM would also visit the sites of all the three projects to review the progress.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

MOL enters into Ghauri exploration block of Pakistan
Tuesday, March 19, 2013

KARACHI: MOL Pakistan has signed a farm out agreement with Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) to acquire 30 percent interest in the Ghauri exploration block in Pakistan.

MOL has already a well-established presence in TAL Block in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Margala Blocks in northern Pakistan. Ghauri block is a promising exploration opportunity and lies close to MOL Pakistan’s Margala blocks. Ghauri block is operated by MPCL with 35 percent interest; the other partner Pakistan Petroleum Limited also has 35 percent interest. MOL is partner with MPCL in Karak block as well.

Ghauri block is in its first exploration phase and the consortium intends to drill the first exploration well this year. Based on evaluations the potential hydrocarbon is oil and natural gas. The transaction is subject to the approval of Pakistani government.

Jozsef Molnar Group Chief Executive Officer said, “In line with the exploration driven growth strategy of MOL, we continuously monitor new upstream investment opportunities. We are proud to deepen our cooperation with MPCL, a well-known partner from several projects”.

This increases MOL group’s presence in Pakistan, where we had great success in the Tal block, one of the main strategic target areas of the Group. We believe the exploration wells in Ghauri block will also bring us successes, he added.

Juhasz Ferenc Managing Director/CEO MOL Pakistan said this was a great moment of pride and happiness for the Company Ghauri block should not only prove a good investment opportunity for the company in Pakistan but would also strengthen our already joint working relations and cooperation with MPCL, a partner and operator of Karak Block.

This would also increase our stakes in Pakistan and we hope to succeed like we have previously, he added. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

Pakistan calls for TAPI’s early implementation
Thursday, March 21, 2013

ASHGABAT: President Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan’s bilateral relations with Afghanistan were the most important component of its shared quest for peace and stability in the region. He was talking to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, here in the capital of Turkmenistan, while joining other world leaders at the international Nowruz Festival.

The President said Pakistan was fully committed to long term peace and stability in Afghanistan. He said the release of Taliban prisoners by Pakistan was done on the request of the Afghan High Peace Council. He said it was a demonstration of Pakistan’s sincere support for the reconciliation efforts of the Afghan government.

The President said Pakistan was sincere in its endeavours and fully supports an Afghan led and owned reconciliation process.

President Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan attaches priority to the US 7.6 billion dollars Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project and shares Turkmenistan’s resolve to see it implemented as early as possible.

During a meeting with the President of Turkmenistan, Dr Gurbanguly M. Berdimuhamedov, he discussed a host of issues ranging from bilateral relations to promoting cooperation in all areas, especially on expanding ties in energy and trade sectors.

The President is accompanied by Dr Asim Hussain and former ministers Hina Rabbani Khar and Rehman Malik, during his two-day visit to Turkmenistan.

President Zardari during a meeting with his Turkmen counterpart said Turkmenistan could help meet Pakistan’s growing energy requirements, while Pakistan could provide trade corridor to Turkmenistan, overland and through its ports.

Pakistan, facing a serious energy shortfall, has been seeking alternative sources of energy. President Zardari, along with Iranian President Dr Mahmoud Ahmdinejad, recently performed ground breaking ceremony of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, the peace pipeline project. The President also visited Turkmenistan in December 2010 to discuss the 1,680 km long Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, which would bring 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (bcfd) from Turkmenistan’s gas fields to Multan in central Pakistan and culminate in the northwestern Indian town of Fazilka. President Zardari said that Pakistan fully supports Turkmen initiative to establish trans-regional energy corridors.

Discussing bilateral relations, the President said there was a need to explore new avenues of cooperation in commercial and economic areas and measures need to be taken to increase bilateral trade in order to further cement bilateral relations. The President said greater trade requires better connectivity and stressed upon the need for establishing rail links between Pakistan and Turkmenistan.

The President during meeting also proposed that the two countries may consider entering into a currency swap agreement and the Governors of Central Banks of the two sides might meet to discuss cooperation in financial and banking sectors. President Zardari while noting rich experience of the two countries in agriculture and agro-based industry, including textile and food processing, said that both the countries could benefit from each other’s expertise in these fields. app

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

OGDC to further accelerate oil, gas exploration: MD
Friday, March 22, 2013

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) organised an energy seminar to discuss current energy situation in the country and the progress made so far on various initiatives to overcome the power and gas shortage in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Masood Siddiqui has said that the company has achieved numerous growth rate in the production of oil and gas, a significant increase in exploration, and drilled 16 new offshore wells, added 6,000 new oil barrels and 100-150 million cubic feet (MCF) gas during last eight to nine months to ensure the energy security of the country.

He said that OGDC is successfully going ahead with its mission to fulfil the country’s energy demand and its recent discovery would go a long way in this regard. He said that ODGCL also initiated the project of establishing OGDC Institute of Science and Technology to promote higher education and technology in the country. From the platform of ICCI, OGDCL managing director also invited private investors to come and explore oil and gas sector of Pakistan that offers huge investment potential.

ICCI President Zafar Bakhtawari said that the future of Pakistan lies on energy sufficiency and ending energy crisis from the country would definitely give a boost to the industry growth and business in Pakistan but there is lack of planning and true implementation of policies. He expressed concern over increasing oil import bill of Pakistan, which had been touching the alarming figure of $15 billion.

Bakhtawari stressed to adopt energy conservation measures and said that the government should launch a serious campaign for adopting energy conservation measures by promoting energy efficiency programmes. He said that it is the high time for the government to declare energy emergency in the country and find ways to resolve this core issue.

Independent Power Producer Advisory Council Chairman Abdullah Yousaf informed the meeting that 3.0 percent of country’s gross domestic product was affected due to prevailing energy crisis, which could be resolved by implementing the principle of good governance as 80 percent of bills were not collected by governance issue. He said that circular debt problem needed to be resolved on priority basis, which has taken place because of subsidisation cost and lack of privatisation in the oil and gas sector.

Nadeem Bajwa, Najam Javed, Shoaib Farooqi, and Col (r) Abdul Mateen also discussed the various reasons of prevailing energy crisis in the county, which includes high cost of power generation, lack of generation links, and deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan and Sindh areas. They called upon the government to promote local investment as well as attract foreign investors to make their investments in oil and gas sector of Pakistan and also emphasised that government should give lucrative incentives to local and foreign investors so that they would make sufficient investment in this sector. They said that oil and gas sector is capital intensive sector, which needed hefty investment form foreign counties, therefore foreign investors should come forward with advanced technologies and make investment in Pakistan.

The seminar was followed by a question answer session from the potential entrepreneurs, who have certain queries in the context of oil and gas sector and policies of the government.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

TAPI pipedream
Sunday, March 24, 2013

President Asif Ali Zardari, while on a visit to Turkmenistan to attend the Nauroz Festival, has stressed the coming together of the Central Asian countries to take advantage of the natural resources the region is blessed with in abundance. The president was clearly pointing at the massive energy resources of Central Asia. Referring to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, the president attached great importance to the immediate implementation of the venture. The $ 7.6 billion project would not only help energy-starved Pakistan but also satiate the ever-growing future energy needs of all partner countries.

The TAPI project, initiated in 1995 and agreed upon by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, was thrown in deep freeze with the overthrow of the Taliban government after 9/11. The project was reinitiated in 2010, but a pipeline traversing the Afghanistan war zone made the project daunting, especially since it would require 5-7,000 security personnel to safeguard the pipeline route. Now that President Zardari has revived the demand for completing the project as soon as possible, the risk remains, given the warlike situation in the two most important transit countries of TAPI, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Post-2014 Afghanistan is speculated to be facing a possible intense civil war after the withdrawal of the US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan. Pakistan also being in a precarious situation in terms of terrorism, given its so far weak counterterrorism capabilities, the proposed pipeline has little chance to move beyond the imagination.

It is interesting that President Zardari is looking for external energy resources to meet domestic power needs, and has taken a giant leap in this context by pushing the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. However the paradox that emerges from this international energy bargain is the possibility of Pakistan having to face US and UN sanctions in the context of dealings with Iran.

According to the recent report issued by the Planning Commission of Pakistan, as the entire power structure of the country is again put under the umbrella of WAPDA to keep it from collapsing entirely because of worn out infrastructure, it is facing losses to the tune of Rs 500 billion per annum. Without putting one’s own house in order, seeking international sources of energy is not a risk-free enterprise and in no way absolves us of putting our own energy house in order. Only then can we persuade the world of the efficacy of Pakistan emerging as the preferred energy (and trade) corridor for the region, a natural advantage geography has bestowed on us.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Devil Soul]

First private hydropower IPP starts production

March 26, 2013 APP
KARACHI – Pakistan’s first private hydropower IPP established by Hub Power Company (Hubco) has commenced commercial operations.An announcement here on Monday said that Pakistan and AJK’s first private Independent Power Producer (IPP) Laraib Energy Limited, the 84MW New Hydropower Project has commenced commercial operations on March 23. The project will contribute 540 GWh of green energy annually into the National Grid under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC). Speaking on the occasion CEO of Hubco Zafar Iqbal Sobani said, ‘this project will provide cheaper electricity and energy security to the country. Other benefits of the run-of-the river NBE HPP include replacement of some 135,000 tons of oil import valued in excess of $100 million per annum and reduction in carbon emissions’. The project was scheduled to be completed in 42 months, but was completed two months earlier; comparing three similar low-head hydropower projects on the Ohio River, USA totalling 191MW started a year before NBE but still have a year to begin commercial operations. Hubco has thanked the successive Governments of Pakistan as well as the Azad Government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Private Power and Infrastructure Board, WAPDA as well as NTDC, for their support and lending massive experience in hydropower. Hubco also acknowledged the important part played by the AJ&K Private Power Cell of the AJ&K Hydroelectric Board in the project’s long development journey. The Asian Development Bank and other lending banks, multilaterals IDB, IFC and Proparco France and two domestic commercial banks NBP and HBL played a very pro-active and constructive role in structuring the project and the finance documents, thus making this pioneering project a reality, it was further pointed out.

 

[Jango]

First private hydropower IPP starts production

March 26, 2013 APP
KARACHI – Pakistan’s first private hydropower IPP established by Hub Power Company (Hubco) has commenced commercial operations.An announcement here on Monday said that Pakistan and AJK’s first private Independent Power Producer (IPP) Laraib Energy Limited, the 84MW New Hydropower Project has commenced commercial operations on March 23. The project will contribute 540 GWh of green energy annually into the National Grid under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC). Speaking on the occasion CEO of Hubco Zafar Iqbal Sobani said, ‘this project will provide cheaper electricity and energy security to the country. Other benefits of the run-of-the river NBE HPP include replacement of some 135,000 tons of oil import valued in excess of $100 million per annum and reduction in carbon emissions’. The project was scheduled to be completed in 42 months, but was completed two months earlier; comparing three similar low-head hydropower projects on the Ohio River, USA totalling 191MW started a year before NBE but still have a year to begin commercial operations. Hubco has thanked the successive Governments of Pakistan as well as the Azad Government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Private Power and Infrastructure Board, WAPDA as well as NTDC, for their support and lending massive experience in hydropower. Hubco also acknowledged the important part played by the AJ&K Private Power Cell of the AJ&K Hydroelectric Board in the project’s long development journey. The Asian Development Bank and other lending banks, multilaterals IDB, IFC and Proparco France and two domestic commercial banks NBP and HBL played a very pro-active and constructive role in structuring the project and the finance documents, thus making this pioneering project a reality, it was further pointed out.

Searched it on the net, and it looks like a power production facility operating on the offrun of the Mangla dam. Or does it get its water from a parallel source?

 

[Cyberian]

84 MW private hydropower IPP commences commercial operations
Tuesday, March 26, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)’s first private Independent Power Producer (IPP) Laraib Energy Ltd, the 84 megawatts (MW) New Bong Hydropower Project has commenced commercial operations. Hub Power Company (Hubco)’s subsidiary Laraib Energy Ltd was successfully commissioned on March 23, 2013.

The project will contribute 540 GWh of green energy annually into the national grid under a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC). Zafar Iqbal Sobani CEO Hubco said, “This project will provide cheaper electricity and energy security to the country.

Other benefits of the run-of-the river NBE HPP include replacement of some 135,000 tonnes of oil import valued in excess of $100 million per annum and reduction in carbon emissions”. The project was scheduled to be completed in 42 months, but was completed 2 months earlier comparing three similar low-head hydropower projects on the Ohio River, USA totalling 191 MW started a year before NBE but still have a year to commercial operations.

Hubco takes this opportunity to thank the successive governments of Pakistan as well as the Azad government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the PPI Board, WAPDA as well as NTDC for their support and lending massive experience in hydropower. Hubco acknowledges the important part played by the AJ&K Private Power Cell of the AJ&K Hydroelectric Board in the project’s long development journey.

The Asian Development Bank and other lending banks, multilaterals IDB, IFC and Proparco France and two domestic commercial banks played a very pro-active and constructive role in structuring the project and finance documents thus making this pioneering project a reality. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Edevelop]

 

[Cyberian]

Solar energy project electrifies 1,500 houses in Balochistan
Wednesday, April 03, 2013

QUETTA: About 1,500 houses were electrified under the provincial government solar energy project besides an accord has been inked between the Balochistan government and Korea company for installing of 300 megawatts (MW) solar power plant near the provincial capital.

Balochistan Secretary Energy Fawad Hashim Rabbani said provincial government in a bid to cope with the energy crises initiated uplift alternate power schemes across the province.

Some 411 houses in Kalat, 595 houses in Surab and 343 houses in Khuzdar lacking the conventional electricity options have been connected with solar system, he added.

He said solar project would soon start producing approximately 300-MW electricity. The Korean company has agreed to invest $900 million under the solar energy project.

The solar project, which would be completed till 2016, government has allocated 1,500 acres of land in Khuchlak adjoining area of Quetta.

He said in order to boost the agriculture sector in the province, federal government has agreed to release funds for putting 800 tubewells out of total over 1,500 on solar energy system.

Besides government is also mulling over to install 20 solar powered water pumps in 10 districts currently being run under the PHE department. app

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan