Minister tells NA: Saudi company to invest $4 billion in renewable energy sector

Minister for Power Division Omar Ayub Khan on Monday informed the National Assembly that a Saudi power producing company, ACWA Power, will invest around $4 billion in the country's renewable energy sector.

Responding to various questions during question hour, he said ACWA Power Company would invest about $4 billion on renewable energy sector in Balochistan.

He said that generation of cheap electricity utilising indigenous renewable energy resources including wind, solar, waste to energy biomass is amongst the top priorities of the government.

He said Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) had been pursuing the development of alternative and renewable energy-based power generation projects through private investors under the Renewable Energy Policy 2006 on IPP mode.

Significant progress had been made in exploiting the wind, solar and biomass/bagasse potential available in the country and several power generation projects based on these resources are operational and many are in the pipeline, he added.

A new Alternative Renewal Energy Policy 2019 has been formulated by the government that has already been approved by the federal cabinet and submitted for approval from CCI. The policy targets increasing the share of alternative energy in the energy mix up to a level of 20 percent by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030.

The scope of the policy also included development of waste-to-energy projects in the country utilizing municipal solid waste. He said that international and local companies could install such energy projects.

The minister said the tariff had been modified in phases as determined by the NEPRA but the present government had protected the interest of domestic consumers by up to 300 units.

He said the previous government had not taken any steps for enhancement of rates from 2016 as per tariff structure.

Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Khial Zaman Orakzai while responding to a question related to his ministry said that petrol was reportedly being sold openly through "Dabba stations" especially in rural areas which was illegal. Action against such illegal stations fell in the domain of Chief Inspector of Explosive (CIE) along with local/district administration under the Petroleum Rules, 1937 read with Petroleum Act, 1934, he added.

He said Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had reported that the company was ensuring uninterrupted gas supply with adequate pressure to Quetta, Mastung and Kalat.

The company repeatedly removes the illegal connections from supply and distribution pipelines but the people again reconnect their illegal connections.

He said that from those illegal connections, gas was not only being stolen but due to crude type of puncturing of the company's main pipeline gas leakages were occurring. Furthermore, the company is undertaking pressure profiling on daily basis but the local people are also damaging the company's Pressure Regulator Stations at Kadkucha and Khaliq Abad.