Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar has said that the government has set its priority to generate power through coal, wind mill and coal gasification with objective to meet the energy crisis under short and mid-terms plans as power generation through hydro electricity needed time after completion of series of hydel projects initiated.
Addressing the executive committee of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry here at HCCI Secretariat the other day, the minister said that the present government had received the energy crisis due to wrong policies of the past regimes, however, the government while realising that no economic development could be achieved without energy had initiated measures under short, mid and long terms strategies for power generation and meet the energy crisis.
Under the said strategy, he said that the government priority was to generate energy through coal by utilising the available reservoirs of the country. Though, the country possessed huge coal reservoir in Tharparkar of Sindh province, but its need time till the availability of required infrastructure for mining, processing and grading of coal.
The blocks being hired by the investors at large were indicating mega power generation through Thar Coal very soon, the minister said and added that until the availability of required infrastructure for utilisation of Thar Coal, the government had decided to import coal from other countries and also utilise the Sunda Coal reserves for coal power projects, which established under short term strategy and would be completed during current financial year.
Under coal gasification, the minister informed that a project had been launched in Thar Coal and hopefully it would start power generation of 150 megawatts next year. Similarly, under the strategy of power generation through wind mills, projects had been initiated at Jhampeer Corridor, the ideal place for the purpose, he said.
Qamar said that no foreign investor could invest without required infrastructure and the government was making all possible efforts to provide required infrastructure to attract the foreign investors in making investment in energy sector.
He informed that the government had also initiated a numbers of projects to meet the gas crisis. Due to shortage of gas, the government had preferred to establish power projects with utilisation of other resources, he added.
The minister informed that the government had also allowed the provinces to establish their own power projects and share the meeting of energy crisis. Earlier, the provinces had restriction of 50 megawatts power generation, but the government had now exempted the provinces from such restriction, he added. About upfront tariff for private sector power generation projects, the minister informed that the matter was under consideration with NEPRA and hopefully it would be settled soon.
Talking about power distribution system, minister said that the government fully desired to replace the outdated power distribution system by introducing latest technologies in this field.
The power stealing and non payment of electricity bills were the main causes of revenue and line losses to power distribution companies and the government wanted to control line losses and increase revenue generation with introduction of modern system, the minister said and emphasised the need of pointing out the persons involved in stealing power so that the rights of genuine power consumers could be protected.
Talking about fuel adjustment charge, the minister said that it though related with fluctuations in oil prices, but the genuine consumers also suffered from it due to power theft, therefore, the issue could be resolved by taking action against power thieves. The minister however agreed that collection of monthly fuel adjustment charge instead to four to five months charges at once from the consumers.
Earlier, President Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Goharullah in his welcome address emphasised the need of fixation of tariff for coal fired power projects so that the investors in this field could make investment and help to reduce the power shortage and supply of electricity at cheaper rate.
He informed that small power producers had formed an association namely Small Power Producers Association (SPPA).
The association was however facing some problems in its day to day running and needed help and assistance from the ministry to overcome such difficulties, he added.
The Chairman HCCI Sub-Committee on HESCO Muhammad Akram Arain in his address appreciated the efforts of HESCO in providing uninterrupted power supply and also apprised the minister about the problems being faced by the power consumers of Hyderabad.