Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has reaffirmed its commitment towards Pakistan by announcing an ambitious investment plan in excess of Rs 40 billion ($400 million). KESC has already invested around $1 billion over the last four years in various large scale projects in generation, transmission and distribution.
The new Rs 40 billion investment plans is aimed at enhancing KESC's generation capacity, improving its generation fleet efficiency, reducing the cost of power generation and building the requisite transmission capacity to meet growing power demand across its service territory. These projects will be completed over the next 18-36 months and KESC will be arranging the required funding from local and foreign institutions in shape of both debt and equity.
Tabish Gauhar CEO KESC, in a related statement said, "We believe in the potential that Pakistan offers and despite the difficult operating environment we have demonstrated this through unprecedented investments in the past. The new investment plan is just a reiteration of this belief and comes at a time when Pakistan is witnessing the dampening of investors' sentiments, both local and foreign."
Under the new investment plan, KESC is undertaking combined cycle projects at its three power plants at Korangi and Site that will significantly enhance the efficiency of these plants and add additional 47 MW of generation capacity. A specially designed 'Transmission Package' will see the installation of new transformer bays, addition of 3 new grid stations at strategic locations and extension of 6 existing grid stations.
In line with the strategic intent to bring down the cost of generation, the new investment plan will allow KESC to convert two of its oil-fired units of 210MW each at its Bin Qasim-I to coal. KESC is also undertaking to develop a bio-waste to energy project which will convert cattle manure from Landhi Cattle Colony and organic food waste to produce 22MW of electricity.-PR