Government misses deadline for energising 231 megawatts RPPs

The socio-economic woes of this loadshedding-hit metropolis, which is the country's revenue engine, having large number of commercial and industrial units, would remain as the federal government, moving at a snail's pace, has missed the deadline of November 2009 for making operational the 231.8MW Rental Power Plants (RPPs) to be set up at Port Qasim by a Turkish firm.
Moreover, a team of technical experts from Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim AS, a Turkish rental power company, is due in Pakistan in next couple of days to evaluate the possible berthing of its "ship-mounted power plants," also called powerships, at Port Qasim.
It is on record that Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf had told a contract-signing ceremony on April 23, 2009 at Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) that the Karachiites would get relief in loadshedding as soon as Karkey installs the 232MW RPPs in the city.
The federal minister had given November 2009 deadline for commissioning of the fast track project which, he had hoped, would help Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) meet the city's power shortage that ranges from 200 to 300MW.
The sources, however, viewed that the fast track project, under which Karkey would set up at least four powerships of 231.8MW net capacity at PQA near Power House, Korangi, was unlikely to be commissioned on the stipulated time because of a lukewarm response from Islamabad towards the project.
"We have still not received a (formal) program from the ministry (of water and power)" about docking of the powerships, an official from Port Qasim Authority (PQA) told Business Recorder when asked about the government's response to Karkey's October 26th's letter, seeking entry for its technical experts into the Port Qasim.
The sources said while the Turkish firm, terming the project as "fast track based" which must be commissioned by the end of this year, had sought a "swift response" from Islamabad, it took the concerned quarters over a month to come up with a proper plan plus brief for all concerned.
The Turkish experts, who the sources said are due at PQA on Thursday, would technically evaluate the possible berthing and connectivity of at least four "big" powerships to the KESC grid for at least a 60-month period near Power House in Korangi Industrial Area during their one-month visit.
In April 2009, the PPIB had awarded the Rental Services Contract (RSC) to Karkey for the setting up of RPPs with a net capacity of 231.8MW on fast track basis at Port Qasim. In this respect, a formal agreement was signed between Karkey and Lakhra Power Generation Company Limited on behalf of Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) on April 23, 2009.