The government of Punjab has issued a letter of interest for setting up the 900MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Energy Park in Bahwalpur to a Chinese telecom company ZTE Corp.
The provincial government had also forwarded a summary to the Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, recommending grant of the project to ZTE, however, he has yet to approve it.
According to available documents, the Punjab Power Development Board issued a letter to ZTE on September 23, 2014 to conduct a feasibility of the 900MW solar energy project. It is worth mentioning that a number of international solar energy firms had approached the Punjab government for the said project, but they were ignored for unknown reasons.
Moreover, the world’s biggest solar energy park is in the USA and its production capacity is 550MW.
Power sector experts have said that Punjab government’s project is impractical.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2014.
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@Iqbal Hadi Zaidi: Still waiting for your reply Mr. diplomat?? Are you afraid you will be exposed to be an agent?if you know what I mean?
Pakistan needs 150,000mw of electricity. Just to survive in a decent manner. All of it should come. From non fossil sources, (from alternative sources) 25,000 MW from solar 25,000 MW from wind 50,000 MW from biodiesel , jatropha leading the mix The balance 50,000 Mw from hydro (big and small dams), biogas,waste to energy, and nuclear,
All of this can be done by Pakistanis Salim Mastan.
@Iqbal Hadi Zaidi: Pakistan lacks the expertise. Hence like all developing countries we require help. Good step by PMLn
@Iqbal Hadi Zaidi: No, we don't have any Pakistani company that can do this. The Chinese are world leaders in solar panel manufacturing. ZTE is not among the leading companies in this sector but they do have a subsidary that does this:
http://www.zte-e.com/en/index.aspx
It's not like we have foreign investors lining up to invest in this country. We must make do with what we can get.
@Iqbal Hadi Zaidi: What kind of question is this? Why is it bad if international companies want to invest? This is how an economy works if you don't know, former diplomat you say you are and have no knowledge of economics.
Its not the IT firm that has been awarded the LOI. Instead it has been issued to Zonergy Pvt ltd. ZTE owns only 23 % shares of the said firm which is primarily an energy EPC company.
Don't we have any Pakistani company to undertake the project rather than asking for Chines co? Iqbal Hadi Zaidi