The Director-General, Energy Management Cell of Wapda, Tahir Bashir Cheema, has said that to meet the energy shortfall, the government has planned to increase power generation capacity to 22,297 mw in 2008-09 from 20,097 mw in 2007-08, with net addition of 2,200 mw.
Briefing a meeting of the executive committee members of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), chaired by Jalaluddin Roomi, he aid that the expected increase in power generation would include 1,067 mw of rental plants and 615 mw of IPPs to be added in the Wapda/Pepco system, and 205 mw of Korangi Thermal Power Station (KTPS) and 200 mw of IPP are expected to be added in the KESC system.
In addition to the already operating 300 mw Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (C-1) since 2001 and under-construction unit C-2 of same capacity, two more units (C-3 and C-4) of 300 mw each are planned at Chashma and are expected to be commissioned by 2014 and 2015, respectively. Further, 1,000 mw unit at Karachi has already been conceptually cleared. He said that Wapda was facing shortage of water in reservoirs. There was only 30 percent supply of natural gas and there has been increase in the prices of furnace oil. A number of power generation plants had completed their technical life during last decade.
He said that KESC , FATA, federal and provincial governments are defaulters of Rs 134 billion. He said that recovery in Punjab is 100 percent, 70 percent in Sindh, 60 percent in Balochistan and NWFP, and zero percent in FATA.
Tahir said that it was a pity that non-professional were appointed as chairman of Wapda who destroyed the organisation ruthlessly. Citing KESC, he said that there was no agreement, no rules and regulation signed between the government and the buyers who are now selling the assets of KESC to meet the salaries of the staff. They did not spend even a single penny for improvement of the system. Instead, they are defaulters and they were blackmailing the government by shutting down electricity whenever they desired.
He said that detailed engineering and design of Diamer Bhasha dam project had been completed and was under final review by Wapda. Tenders for construction of the dam are expected to be floated soon, whereas construction of the dam was expected to be started in the middle of 2009.
He said that for enhancing power generation capacity, the government has allocated Rs 76.2 billion, including Rs 16.320 billion as foreign aid in the annual Budget 2008-09. To overcome power shortage and to reduce the extent of load shedding, 1,500 mw thermal power projects at Dadu, Guddu and Faisalabad have also been envisaged during 2008-09 with average capacity of 500 mw each. Two hydropower projects of Northern Areas, including Naltar-III (16 mw) and Naltar-V (14 mw) have also been envisaged in 2008-09.
In respect of AJK, two hydropower projects, namely Battar (3.2 mw) and Dhannan (1.7 mw) are also under active consideration by the government. To cater the growing demand of power in the country, to increase the efficiency of system network and to reduce power congestion in the power system, multiple projects for construction of transmission lines and grid station, extension of feeder lines and installation of capacitors are under consideration by the respective Discos.
The meeting was also addressed by CEO of Mepco, Muhammad Amin Sahi, Chief Executive Officer Genco III Muhammad Rafiq Butt, Muhammad Azhar Iqbal, and Dr Muhammad Tariq, President of Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce & Industry.