NEPRA accepts request for 99MW wind power projects

Chinese firm is seeking licences for two projects in Jhimpir

KARACHI: Three Gorges Second and Third Wind Farm Pakistan Limited, a Chinese firm, has won the regulatory authority’s acceptance of its application seeking licences for 99-megawatt wind power projects in Jhimpir, Sindh, costing $226.2 million.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) notified on Monday that it had permitted the company’s application for “consideration of the grant of generation licence for its proposed wind power plant.”



The firm had applied for two generation licences for two separate wind power projects of 49.5 megawatts each. Both the projects are to be set up in the vicinity of Jhimpir. The combined cost of the projects is estimated at $226.2 million (or $113.1 million each). This comprises 75% debt and 25% equity. Both the projects are expected to be commissioned in September 2017, the authority said.

The electric power generated from the projects will be supplied to the Central Power Purchasing Agency (Guarantee) Limited.

This is a flagship firm of China Three Gorges Corporation, which is one of the leading companies actively involved in developing hydroelectric power and wind power projects across the globe.

The company aims to produce wind power up to 2,000 megawatts in Pakistan in the next couple of years. Already, Three Gorges First Wind Farm has completed its project of 50 megawatts.

“This project has already been supplying electricity to the main grid from November 2014. The project site is located near Jhimpir, Thatta district,” it said on its website.

China South Asia Investment Limited is its holding company that is engaged in investment and establishment of power generation projects in South Asian countries. It is working on developing power projects in Pakistan as well in the areas of hydroelectric, wind and solar energy.



The Chinese firm had filed applications for power generation licences in November 2015, but Nepra returned them with multiple objections.

Three Gorges Second and Third Wind Farm Pakistan CEO Wang Shenliang said they believed that Nepra’s objections were not applicable in their case and requested the authority to reconsider the applications.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th,  2016.

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