Two welcome additions to the national power grid

The threat of terrorism has delayed several power projects.


January 02, 2011

LAHORE: The 201MW Reshma Power Plant in Raiwind was inaugurated by the federal minister for Water and Power on Saturday.

Later in the day, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also inaugurated a 132KV Grid Station in Kasur on Ferozepur Road.

The Reshma Power Plant currently contributes 40MW, as test generation, to the national grid.

While talking on the occasion, Ashraf termed energy as “the greatest challenge inherited by the incumbent government”.

Criticising the previous government and praising his own, he said that the failure of the previous regime to add “even a single mega watt to the national grid” had widened the supply-and-demand gap. “In contrast we have already under taken several mega hydel power projects. The Neelum-Jhelum Power Station, Diamer-Bhasha Dam, Dasoo Dam, Bunji Dam and hydel project at Kohala are a few examples of the inexpensive means of energy we have adopted,” he said.

Ashraf added that since hydel power projects require eight to nine years for completion, the government had initiated a number of projects including alternative and renewable energy projects to narrow the supply-demand gap.

During his address he also talked about the Independent Power Producers (IPPs), “The PPP-led coalition government has put the rehabilitation of dysfunctional IPPs on ‘fast track’.”

According to Ashraf 1,800MW has been added to the national grid through these initiatives so far. The federal minister said that several companies were working on the Thar Coal Project to make the best use of the available resource.

Talking to media after the end of the ceremony, the minister conceded that Rental Power Plants (RPPs) were more expensive than IPPs and hydel power projects. “However, even RPPs are better than having no energy,” he added. Answering a query about power projects that had been delayed, the federal minister said that the threat of terrorism had delayed work on many power projects. “Because of terrorism some projects that were supposed to have been completed in 2007 have not been commissioned even today,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2011.

COMMENTS (1)

MiP | 13 years ago | Reply Who are the sooooooooo powerful sponsors of this Reshma RPP ?
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