Lakhra power plant to be run by independent company

30 Aug, 2004

The government has established an independent company that will independently operate Lakhra coal-fired power plant, previously operated be the Jamshoro Power Company.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Sunday that an independent company named as "Lakhra Coal-fired Powerhouse Development Company (LCPDC)" was established for proper plant functioning, which was operating with the technical assistance of China.
Strangely enough, according to sources, the head-office of the company is going to be established in Lahore instead of Karachi or any other city of Sindh.
Pakistan is facing an acute power shortage and to meet the electricity requirements, the government is focused on the thermal and power plants, which are either functioning below their full capacity or closed in the past.
The power consumption in the country is so high that the government is likely to take emergent steps rather than to wait for the construction of new hydropower projects, which will take around two to three years to complete.
According to sources, the Sindh government is perturbed over the present insufficient power supply to most parts of the province.
The three-unit Lakhra power plant is presently being revived under the supervision of the independent company.
The Sindh government, sources said, is taking steps to reactivate at least two units of the plant since the other unit could not be made functional - at least for the time being.
Sources said the plant would provide electricity to areas of and around Sehwan Sharif and Jamshoro.
Sources said that coal-fired power plants are always problematic and the management could not keep all the units operational at the same time.
The LCPDC has approached the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) for the determination of power tariff, sources said.
They said the Nepra will shortly take the matter for consideration.
Sources said that all arrangements were finalised and the Sindh government has sought Expression of Interests (EoIs), so that the private sector could be properly involved in the plant under the independent company.

Read Comments