Air Marshal Shahid Hamid (Retd), Chairman, Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), said that firm letters of commitment have been given by 13 leading investors for installation of wind power turbines and as a result 650 megawatts (MW) of power would be injected to the national grid by the end of 2007.
He stated this at a meeting with Acting President, FPCCI Sheikh Muhammad Aslam and members of FPCCI in Federation House, Karachi that the mid-term development plan of the Alternative Energy Development Board included development of wind and solar energy to meet at least 5% of the total installed capacity ie 9,700 MW by 2030.
AEDB will facilitate installation of 700 MW of wind energy near Gharo, Sindh by 2010. It will also facilitate development of solar products like solar lights, solar fans, solar cooker, solar geyser through the private sector, he added.
The AEDB Chairman said that as a result of the analysis of three years data of general area Gharo-Keti Bandar provided by the MET Office, AEDB has identified a potential of 50,000 MW wind power.
He said that the Board was in liaison with the Government of Sindh for identification and acquisition of land in the area and has so far acquired 18,000 acres of land. Giving details of the pilot project for development and installation of micro wind turbines, he said that 85 micro turbines had been installed in Mirpur Sakro, District Thatta to provide electricity to 356 homes, 15 turbines are installed in Kund Malir, District Lasbella providing electricity to 111 homes, 40 turbines to government of Balochistan and one turbine is to be installed in AJK on trial basis.
Air Marshal Shahid Hamid said that AEDB was also exploiting solar energy and has executed a project to provide 100 solar homes in each province. These villages where the project has been executed include Allah Baksh, Bazar Dadar, District Kech, Balochistan; Bharo Mal, District Thar, Sindh; Janak, district Kohat, NWFP; and Lakhi Bher, district D.G.Khan, Punjab.
He said that Northern areas has immediate potential of more than 300MW and the canal network in Punjab has a potential of more than 350 MW through micro hydro power projects. A 40KW Kaplan type micro hydel turbine has been indigenously manufactured which has been installed at that Khanpur Dan canal near the village of Mohra Morado, Taxila, providing electricity to the village. On the proposal of Tariq Sayeed, former President, FPCCI Air Marshal Shahid promised to recommend to the Prime Minister to include a representative of FPCCI on AEDB. He also agreed to hold consultative meetings with FPCCI members every two months to interact with the entrepreneurs.-PR