Respite: ‘Energy crisis will be over by 2018’

Khan said the government was ready to help farmers install low-cost bio-energy plants

LAHORE: Mines and Minerals Minister Chaudhry Sher Ali Khan said on Monday energy crisis would be over by 2018. “The provincial and federal governments are utilising all-available resources to meet the demand for energy and diversify the energy mix,” the minister told a meeting. He said the provincial government had introduced a semi-mechanised mining technology to increase production of local coal for use in coal-fired power plants. Khan said the government gave priority to capacity building at the Mines and Minerals Department. “We are blessed with 600 million tonnes of coal reserves in the Salt Range area. The provincial government is facilitating local and foreign investors for the exploration of these reserves,” the minister said. He said the 100MW Quaid-i-Azam Solar Power Plant in Bahawalpur had started functioning. Work on RLNG [Regasified liquefied natural gas] power plants in Bhikki, Haveli Bahadur Shah and Balloki is underway. He said the government was ready to help farmers install low-cost bio-energy plants. He said the provincial government had started work on a 250MW wind energy project in Rajanpur that would be completed next year.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2016.