The Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB), which met here on Thursday with Minister for Water Power Raja Parvez Ashraf in the chair, scrapped two 200 MW inactive hydropower projects in Azad Kashmir. These projects were identified as 100 MW Kotli hydropower project and 100 MW Gulpur hydropower project. "We have decided to go for fresh bidding for these sites as the government cannot afford further delay," one of the participants of the meeting told Business Recorder.
The sponsors of another 197 MW hydropower project in Swat had decided to withdraw their interest from the project, citing law and order as the main reason for this disappointing decision, he added. The Board also granted one-year extension to 139 MW Chakothi-Hatian hydel project on the basis of genuine reasons, he added.
Another participant of the meeting told this correspondent that it was ironical that the minister, who had himself, failed to meet his oft-repeated commitment to make Pakistan loadshedding free country by December 31, 2009, criticised the PPIB officials for not achieving the deadline.
In October last year, the PPIB''s top management misinformed the minister that slippage would be of only one month in the establishment of rental power plants (RPPs), however, their assessment was completely contrary to reality. Some of the officials of the PPIB reportedly pocketed huge sums in the name of site inspections of the independent power producers (IPPs) and the RPPs, which irritated the minister.
"The minister conveyed his concern at the delays in commissioning of the IPPs and the RPPs, and stated that the meeting has been called to determine the reasons for these delays and to devise a way forward to expedite their commissioning into the system immediately," said an official statement issued by after the meeting.
The Board expressed satisfaction over the achievement of the financial close by the country''s first hydroelectric IPP, ie 84 MW New Bong Escape Hydro Electric Project. According to the statement, the project will open the doors for quick implementation of a portfolio of hydroelectric projects under process with the PPIB.
It was agreed that the efforts to expedite hydropower projects in the country are required on war footing, and hydropower projects currently being processed at the PPIB need further attention. Interestingly, the word ''war footing'' has been used for the last 10 years, but nothing has been achieved so far.
Beside hydropower, generation of power through coal is required to meet the medium to long-term electricity requirements of the country. Efforts to exploit indigenous coal are being accelerated. It was decided that in addition to developing indigenous coal, investors should be invited to establish imported coal projects - a cheaper alternative to furnace oil, and which can also be used to set up projects of large capacities.
The meeting was attended by Water and Power Secretary Shahid Rafi, Planning Commission Secretary Ashraf M. Hayat, Additional Secretary of Finance M. Iqbal Awan, Additional Secretary of Petroleum and Natural Resources Muhammad Ejaz Chaudhary, Member of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Zafar ul Majeed, Wapda Chairman Shakil Durrani, Managing Director of PPIB Fayyaz Elahi, Secretary of Energy & Power, NWFP, Khalid Hussain Gilani and Secretary of AJK Electricity Iqbal Mohayuddin as well as other senior government officials.
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