Business

Power crisis: Minister briefs National Assembly on progress

Power generation boosted significantly after clearing debt: power minister.

APP August 21, 2013

As many as 20 hydel power projects have been conceived to increase hydel production. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:

A total of 1,700 megawatts (MW) of power has been added to the national grid due to the clearance of Rs500billion in circular debt, said State Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Abid Sher Ali on Wednesday.

Speaking at the National Assembly, he said load-shedding has been decreased from six to eight hours due to the clearance of circular debt as Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have been paid the accumulated circular debt in a transparent way and effective measures are being taken to exterminate the menace of load shedding from the country.

The minister briefed the Assembly on the progress and plans the government had in dealing with the power crisis.

The previous PPP government had written off Rs31 billion in outstanding debt for the Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) while another Rs21 billion had been written off in Sindh, said Ali.

He said 54.4MW of wind energy from Zorlu Enerji has been added to the system from July 25, 2013. 16 more projects with a capacity 1,230MW will achieve financial closure before the close of fiscal year 2013-14.

A letter of intent has been issued to nine companies for producing 420MW power.

10 Solar projects with a capacity of 212MW would achieve financial closure in fiscal year 2013-14. Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has prepared a master plan to construct small and big dams to cope with the shortage of water in the country.

As many as 20 hydel power projects have been conceived to increase hydel production.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd 2013.

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