The arrival of the rental plant is the result of an agreement inked between the governments of Pakistan and Turkey three years ago. It is temporarily anchored at Karachi Port Trust’s berth Nos. 4 and 5 and it is likely to start generating electricity from next month. It reached Karachi from the Tuzla port of Turkey after a 12-day journey.
The ship will be permanently docked between the Korangi Thermal Power Station and Jamot Jetty on November 24.
There are 22 employees of the Turkish power company aboard the ship and they were received by officials of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), Orient Energy and Karachi Port Trust (KPT).
The rental power plant has a power-generation capacity of 232 megawatts (MW), 220MW of which will be supplied to different areas of the city through Korangi Thermal Power Station. Pepco and the Karachi Electric Supply Company have completed arrangements needed to set up the network, including the testing of the process and system through which electricity would be supplied.
A special land route has also been created to connect the ship to the Korangi Thermal Power Station. Similarly, a network of high-tension lines and underground cables has also been laid between the Korangi station and Qayyumabad Grid Station. Encroachments within the network have also been removed.
Once this rental power plant starts functioning, Wapda will cut down 220MW of the 600MW that it used to supply Karachi.
The official inauguration ceremony will be held on Sunday, November 21, at KPT berth No. 4. Federal minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah are expected to attend. ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM WIRE AGENCIES
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2010.
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