Govt to support joint ventures on wind turbines to meet energy crisis
KARACHI : Sindh Minister for Environment and Alternate Energy Askari Taqvi said that the government will provide all possible support to joint ventures between international and local companies for manufacturing wind turbines in Pakistan. Speaking at a seminar on “Energy Crisis in Pakistan “, held in connection with the second anniversary of first magazine of the country on energy sector ” Energy Update” at a local hotel. seminar was supported by National forum for environment & health.
He said that foreign manufacturers were delaying supply of wind turbines to wind projects for three years and beyond. “If we can locally produce wind turbines with foreign collaboration here, our IPPs can install their wind mills early. This is the only way to put up wind mills on a fast track basis to meet energy shortages in the country”, he added.
He said Sindh government will provide them all necessary infrastructure including land, utilities and other facilities. “Besides, we will allow 100 percent repatriation of profits and technical fee”, he noted. The minister said that the government will also arrange meetings of foreign manufacturers of wind turbines with local entrepreneurs. He pointed out that few Pakistani companies were manufacturing wind turbines of 3 to 5 kilowatts at a price range of Rs. 350,000 to Rs. 700,000 per turbine depending on capacity.
He said India was generating 8,000 MW from wind mills. Talking of environment protection, Askari Taqvi said that an “action plan” was being prepared to ensure effective implementation of environmental laws and discourage pollution. Under this action plan, Environment Protection Agency (EPA) will increase interaction with all stakeholders and take them on board to discourage environment pollution. We have already started contacting stakeholders including various industries. We know each other and there will be no problem, he observed. He was of the view that EPA has to create erroneousness among the society about the benefits of healthy environment and demerits of environment pollution.
Earlier, various speakers including, managing editor Energy Update Naeem Qureshi, CEO Concept Industrial management Ltd Robert D. Orr, executive director PSO Kaleem Siddiqui, managing director Progas Abbass Bilgrami, CEO KITE Ltd. Abdul Haseeb Khan, chairman National Forum For Environment & Health NHEF Dr. Qaiser Waheed, Dr. Sajid Hassan of Al-Tuwairqi Steel, Abid Mahmood of KESC and Shabbir Kazmi also spoke on energy crisis and gave solutions. The minister also cut the cake and gave away shields among speakers and team of Energy Update.
Moreover Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said the government has chalked out a plan to produce 5,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity under Thar Coal Power Generation Project. in a message on the occasion of second anniversary of a magazine Energy Update here. Power generation capacity under this project was to be enhanced to 20,000 MW in the long run. He said that the country was presently in the grip of a serious power crisis with power shortages of 3,000 MW and this shortage was likely to go up to 4,000 mega watts next year. He recalled that the ever-biggest investment from the day of establishment of Pakistan in the power sector was made during the previous PPP government.
The Power Policy of 1994 led to an additional 3,078 MW of electricity production, which in return, led to $3.5 billion investment. Giving a detail of the measures, being taken on urgent basis, Gilani said the present government has devised and is implementing an ambitious plan to coup with the immediate and future needs of the country in the energy sector. During this year, we shall install 2200 mega watt power generation units, he said.
The Prime Minister said the government was giving equal attention on energy saving. We plan to save 500-mega watt of electricity through special load management campaigns, thereby scaling down load shedding. Moreover, Pepco has been directed to ensure provision of 10 million energy saver bulbs at an appropriate price to consumers, he added. He said that he was pleased to learn that the magazine was objective in reporting, open to suggestions and pragmatic in advice to the government, while adhering to healthy norms of journalism.
It is encouraging that the “Energy Update” is projecting all aspects of energy sector and highlighting its true potentials in Pakistan as well as abroad, he observed. The Prime Minister hoped the national media including the “Energy Update” will support the energy saving campaign and also supplement the government’s efforts to achieve energy security, which is vital for a sustainable growth of the national economy.-SANA
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