Pakistan’s chemical manufacturer, Nimir Industrial Chemicals Limited (NICL), on Friday announced the successful completion of a solid fuel-fired 20-MW thermal power plant, allowing the company to achieve energy independence from the sources of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Regasified Liquid Natural Gas (RLNG).

The development was shared by the company in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday.

“The company has successfully completed and commissioned a solid fuel fired 20-MW thermal power plant. This plant has replaced the previous sources of power i.e. WAPDA and RLNG,” read the notice.

Nimir Industrial Chemicals also shared that it has completed and commissioned the second phase of the Chlor Alkali plant's expansion. “This was linked with the availability of additional power from the company's own thermal power plant,” it added.

The company, which is engaged in manufacturing and sales of chemical products along with toll manufacturing of aerosol, soap products, home and personal care, shared that both plants have now started their commercial operations.

Last month, the company informed the bourse that it will set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in the jurisdiction of Uzbekistan under the name and style of “Nimir Overseas FE LLC”.

A number of companies in the country have developed or are in the process of developing power plants to meet their energy needs, as the country battles with a ballooning import bill, which is mostly on account of high energy prices in the international market.

Last month, Lucky Cement Limited, one of Pakistan’s largest cement manufacturers, announced that it has completed the installation of its 34MW captive solar power plant at Pezu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The 34 MW solar PV project is expected to produce approximately 48GWh (Gigawatt hours) annually. The output energy will be used on-site resulting in substantial savings for the company in cost of energy and will also cut around 29,569 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions annually,” the company said in a statement back then.