PM Nawaz to lay foundation of 1156MW power plant in Sheikhupura

Project aims to save Rs8 billion to the national exchequer annually

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will lay the foundation stone of establishment of 1156 megawatt power plant in the Bhikki area of district Sheikhupura in the coming week.

According to an official briefing, the project is being established under the Power Policy 2015 of the government, conceived as one of the world’s leading initiatives with most efficient machines and lowest project cost, aimed at ending load shedding completely.

The project is scheduled to start simple cycle operations in February 2017 while the operation on combined cycle mode will commence from December 2017.

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The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd shall be the supplier of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to the project under a Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) to the extent of 200 MMCFD.

The project will use RLNG as its primary fuel and employ the highest efficiency machines to keep the cost of electricity to the end consumer at its bare minimum.

Per unit cost of electricity generated by Bhikki plant is expected to be less than Rs9/KWh due to its high performance parameters and low project cost, resulting in a substantial saving of over Rs8 billion per year to the national exchequer.