LAHORE: Federal Minister for Power Engr Khurram Dastgir Khan said on Friday no imported fuel would be used for new electricity generation projects in the country.
“This strategy has been evolved to ensure environment-friendly power generation besides saving precious foreign exchange and reduce the electricity cost for consumers,” he said.
He was addressing a press conference along managing director of the company after reviewing the transmission projects at the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) head office. He also announced the completion of a landmark 220 kilometre Thar-Matiari transmission line in record time period of two and a half months with a cost of Rs15 billion. It will be helpful in evacuating power generation at Thar Coal power project. Dastgir said the NTDC completed the project with the assistance of the finance ministry at the pace of ‘Shehbaz Speed’.
Earlier, he said, the NTDC had completed Iran-Gawadar power transmission line this year with the help of Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO). He expressed the hope that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would inaugurate the project by the middle of the current month. While listing down the projects of NTDC during the current fiscal year, the federal minister counted 765KV Grid Station at Mansehra to evacuate power generation from Diamir Basha and Dasu dams. Also, he said, a wind energy project is under construction at Sukhi Kiniari.
He said all these projects were initiated by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif some four years back but no tangible development could take place throughout the four years of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
He pointed out that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also inaugurated 1000 megawatt K3 project with a purpose of reducing the energy cost for consumers. The minister further expressed the hope for negligible load shedding during the summer season ahead. According to him, no electricity has been generated through furnace oil during the current fiscal that has took the Fuel Price Surcharge (FPS) to negative zone over the last five months. He said the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has extended 41-paisa benefit to consumers under the FPS after deducting 41-paisa recovery arrears of June 2021 during the PTI regime. The federal minister also clarified that the government is committed to avoid installing coal project on imported coal. However, no such embargo has been placed on the indigenous coal for power generation, which would continue in the country.
He said the NTDC was also planning to establish a stabilizing source in the middle of the country to avoid power breakdown any further. He also appreciated the NTDC for acquiring sites for two solar power projects while efforts for the third one are underway. Replying to a query, he dispelled the impression of any confrontation between the government and judiciary and hoped that the Supreme Court would support the parliamentary supremacy in the larger interest of the federation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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