Coal-based: PPIB approves over 4,000MW power projects

Grants letter of support for 100MW Gulpur hydropower plant.

ISLAMABAD:
The Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB), in its 96th board meeting here on Wednesday, approved the processing of various coal-based power projects having combined generation capacity of 4,250 megawatts.

Federal Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Mohammad Asif chaired the meeting.

Keeping in view the importance accorded to projects based on domestic resources, the PPIB provided a letter of support for the 100MW Gulpur hydropower project located at Poonch River near Kotli, Azad Kashmir.

“We have received a very encouraging response from the private sector as prominent local and international investors are interested in developing coal-based power projects at locations other than Gadani Power Park as well,” the PPIB said in a press release.

These include Hubco (660MW), Global Benefit Malaysia (660MW), Giga Energy (420MW), Yunus Brothers/Lucky Cement (660MW), Asiapak Hong Kong (two plants of 660MW each), Siddiqsons Group (330MW) and Asia Petroleum (200MW).

These power plants are proposed to be established at different locations including Hub, Port Qasim, Karachi coastal area, Faisalabad, Gharo and Jamshoro.


In addition to these, Sino Sindh Resources along with China Power International as a partner, and Thar Power Company, a joint venture between Engro and Government of Sindh, have expressed interest in developing two projects of 600MW each and two plants of 330MW each respectively in Thar.

The board gave the go-ahead to the processing of these projects after completion of necessary formalities.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister stressed that the government was committed to providing uninterrupted and cheap electricity supply to the people of Pakistan and was working on all avenues to achieve the objective.

He said in order to transmit power from the upcoming independent power projects, the government was inviting the private sector to construct transmission lines. “A policy in this regard is expected to be announced shortly,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2014.

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