NEPRA approves capacity expansion plan

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has approved the first-ever Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan 2021-30 (IGCEP-2021) in terms of relative provisions of grid code of the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC).

“IGCEP will be a dynamic document covering a planning horizon of 10 years and it will be revised annually,” stated a statement issued on Friday.

“It will act as a primary document for adding new capacity for generation to meet the future demand in a scientific and systematic manner, thus avoiding the boom and bust cycle, which we have experienced in the past.”

According to the IGCEP, the energy mix of the country, which is highly skewed towards imported fuels, will be transformed to include major contribution from indigenous resources including hydel, local coal, bagasse, wind and solar on a least cost basis.

Currently, coal, furnace oil and re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) occupy major shares in the energy mix.

The use of furnace oil would be reduced to 2% only from the current utilisation of 19%, it said.

“Similarly, the use of RLNG and imported coal will be reduced to 11% and 8% from their current share of 17% and 11% respectively,” the statement said.

“At the same time, there will be a massive increase in the contribution of hydel and other renewable energy resources including bagasse, wind and solar power.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2021.

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