ISLAMABAD – As many as 14 Alternative Renewable Energy (ARE) projects with accumulative capacity of 670 MW would start commercial operation by December.
Official sources told APP here on Thursday that these projects included mostly wind and solar based power projects.
Sharing the details, they said that 50 MW each Lakeside Energy Pvt Ltd (Jhampir), Artistic Wind Power Pvt Ltd, Liberty Wind Power 1 Pvt Ltd, Indus Wind Energy Ltd, ACT2 Wind Power 2 Pvt. Ltd, Liberty Wind Power 2 Pvt Ltd, Nasda Green Energy Pvt Ltd, Din Energy and Gul Ahmed Electric Ltd were being set up at Jhampir (Thatta) and would start power generation by December.
Similarly, 100 MW Zhenfa Energy was being set up at Layyah while 50 MW each Helios Power Pvt Ltd, HNDS Energy Pvt Ltd and Meridian Energy Pvt Ltd would be established at Sukkur. In compliance with the decision of Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE), Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) has actively been facilitating the said projects as per the criterion. All the said projects have already achieved financial close, they said.
Government had also approved a new ARE Policy 2019. The policy aims at creating a conducive environment supported by a robust framework the sustainable growth of ARE Sector in Pakistan. The GOP’s strategic objectives of energy security, affordability of electricity, availability for all, environmental protection, sustainable development, social equity and mitigation of climate change will further be harnessed under the ARE Policy 2019. AEDB has actively been facilitating the Alternative Renewable Energy (ARE) projects that were discarded by the past government on December 12, 2017. They said that ARE projects were placed in three categories. Under category-1, 19 projects of 531 MW that have already been issued Letter of Support (LoS) subject to revision of tariff in case tariff determination has been done since more than one year or if the tariff validity period has lapsed.
Under, category-II, 24 projects of 1339 MW that have acquired tariff and generation license subject to revision of tariff in case tariff determination has been done since more than one year or if the tariff validity period has lapsed.
Similarly, under category-III, 110 projects of 6707 MW cumulative capacity holding LoIs to be allowed to proceed ahead after becoming successful in a competitive bidding to be undertaken as per demand communicated by NTDC.
It is pertinent to mention here that AEDB has been promoting and facilitating the development and deployment of alternative and renewable energy technologies in the country. The development of renewable energy based power generation projects is being pursued on IPP mode through private sector investors.
They said 24 wind power projects of 1233.37 MW cumulative capacities had already been operationalised and providing electricity to the grid. Similarly six solar projects of 430 MW cumulative capacities were also providing electricity.