NEPRA grants alternative energy production licences

Two wind, one solar and one bagasse power plants approved by regulator

KARACHI: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has accepted four applications seeking licences for power generation from wind, solar and bagasse, according to notifications.

The four projects are to be designed to give a combined production of around 133 megawatts (MW) and bear a cumulative cost of approximately $265 million.



Wind power

Artistic Wind Power (Private) Limited and ACT2 Wind (Private) Limited, Karachi based firms, have each applied for a power generation licence of 50MW.

Artistic Wind Power said in the application that it would set up the project at a cost of $109 million at Jhimpir in Sindh’s Thatta district.

ACT2 Wind would also setup its project at Jhimpir and it would bear a cost of $110.13 million.

The cost of both projects is said to comprise of 75% debt and 25% equity.

Bagasse power

Chanar Energy Limited (CEL), a Lahore based company, said in the application that it would produce power from bagasse, the dry pulpy residue left after the extraction of juice from sugarcane. It is used as a fuel like furnace oil to produce the power.

It would be a “bagasse based cogeneration power plant...with high pressure boilers and turbo-generators.”

The proposed project would have an installed capacity to 22MW at Faisalabad district in Punjab.



The project would cost $27 million, including 75% debt and 25% equity. It is expected to take 18 months to start generating power from the time it meets all the financial arrangements.

“CEL intends to supply electric power… to National Transmission and Dispatch Company, Chanar Sugar Mills Limited / bulk power consumers,” the notification said.

Solar power

Lalpir Solar Power (Private) Limited, another Lahore based company, said in the application that it wanted to set up a solar based power project in district Muzaffargarh, Punjab.

The project would have a capacity to generate 10MW and it would cost them $18.72 million. The project is expected to start power production from April 2017. The expected life of the generation facility is stated to be 25 years.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2016.

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