A UK-based company-DDR Energy International is planning to set up a 21MW power plant in Karachi at an estimated cost of $60 million to generate electricity at around 25 percent lower tariffs.
In an exclusive interview with Business Recorder on Monday, a representative of DDR Energy International, Richard Cook, said, his firm was keen to establish a power generating station in Karachi to provide public with low cost electricity.
He observed the city had a mixed population, ie in some parts of the metropolis people were in an abject deprivation and leading a poor miserable life. However, some parts he visited during his recent and maiden tour to Pakistan said people had a standard life. He said he continued with holding meetings with different government departments besides City District Government Karachi to get a nod for installing the proposed power station in the metropolis.
When asked, Richard said if the government gave its firm approval immediately for the projects, the project would reach its completion in around 18 months and would begin power production. He said the city had a daily huge waste production from which between 300MW and 500MW power could easily be generated.
After plant completion, he said his company had clear intentions to produce power at lower rates by at least 25 percent as compared to the power tariffs of KESC to supply electricity to metropolis. He hoped the lower power supply to public would also reduce the persistent trend of power theft in the city. He said his firm was likely to create a challenging environment to KESC.
DDR Energy International is an environment responsible company, which would also ensure power generation at zero-rate carbon emission and would follow ecological standards of UK. Regarding employment creation prospects from DDR Energy International, Richard declined to enumerate the posts, however, said once the firm was established would generate high-skilled jobs besides helping to educate people.
He envisaged "many more jobs" at the UK-based energy company for locals. For waste collection, he said, his company would assign private vehicles with guaranteed money for their services, while different areas of the metropolis would be assigned to different contractors.
A recycling plant, Richard pointed out, could be set up at one of the city's waste landfill sites but, however, expressed caution regarding the geology of the sites. DDR Energy International operates and offers to the market four main technologies, which include Gas-Tech (next generation gasification), Organix (anaerobic digestion of organic material), Tycon (conversion of passenger car tyres into fuel oil, fuel gas, carbon black and steel) and Dura-Build (steam sterilisation to municipal waste to create ecologically enhanced Refuse-Derived Fuel).