Energy crisis: President calls for expediting projects
President Asif Zardari has directed the Sindh government to invite bids for short-term energy projects in Sindh.
Presiding over a meeting on the Sindh power generation policy at Bilawal House on Thursday, President Zardari said there should be an open bidding with the involvement of private sector experts for the evaluation and adoption of public-private partnership models.
He also directed the provincial government to contribute land to the projects.
The president was informed that the provincial government, in collaboration with China, had already identified two potential small hydro projects downstream Sukkur Barrage, which would generate about 10 megawatts (MW) of electricity at two different locations. The projects will cost $20 million.
The Sindh power policy consists of short-, medium- and long-term projects. Short-term projects will be completed in 12 to 18 months, which include wind, solar and biomass power projects, solar water heating, captive power projects within industrial zones, and power projects on dormant and abandoned gas fields.
The medium-term energy projects in Sindh will be implemented in four years (2013-2017). The long-term power projects will be implemented after 2018.
The president said power projects identified under the short-term policy should be implemented without delay to provide people with immediate relief.
President Zardari said the implementation mechanism should be based on standardised terms of reference. “The evaluation criteria should be clearly laid down and communicated to the bidders. The evaluation team should consist of experts from the private sector as well,” he said.
The president also advised the provincial government to consider adopting the public-private partnership model for energy projects by contributing its land.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.
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Borrow money and build them but who will pay for electricity once it is built. We can't pay the existing power producers for running their power plants (these are running at 30% capacity) and here we're contemplating building more plants.
This is hilarious. We are still "expediting".
where is the money ? 70% is silently taken up by establishment purely for their fun, much more than what is required. There are no FDI... local businessmen will have to be crazy to invest in such volatile scenario. Where is the money ??? Unless of course we go begging elsewhere.. its time we re define our budgets.