The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has prepared a strategy for generating 1400 mega watt electricity. These projects will be completed at the cost of Rs 12 billion that will be invested by the private sector. This was disclosed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Energy & Power and Education, Mohammad Atif Khan and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO) during a press briefing.
Out of the targeted 1400 mega watt electricity generating projects, 668 mega watt capacity projects will be completed at the cost of $2 billion. 56 private companies will be awarded contracts soon. The provincial minister said that only 105 mega watt electricity was generated in the province during the period of last 30 years as compared to the national potential of 43500 mega watt and 30,000 mega watt in only Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said projects with generating capacity of 3902 mega watt electricity in the province have been prepared with immediate effect. They include short, medium and long-term projects. Mohammad Atif Khan said that 36 mega watt electricity will be produced by Dral Khwar, Machai and Renolia hydel projects, which will be completed soon.
He said that these projects will generate 668 mega watt electricity, saying though the provincial government has allocated only Rs 40 million for them. However, the cost of these projects is US $2 billion that will be implemented through private sector and 56 companies have already submitted their offers in this regard.
Besides, these hydel power projects, the provincial minister said that work on two solar energy projects with the generation capacity of 100 mega watt will also start soon, which will be completed by the end of the year 2017.
To a question regarding progress on 356 micro-hydel projects, the provincial minister said that 53 of them have already been completed while 284 more have been approved and work on 188 projects is in progress. However, he said that the number of these projects is now being enhanced to 1000 projects. The completion of these micro-hydel power projects will provide cheap electricity to about one million population. He said that only 57 mega watt electricity was generated during last five-year government of the ANP. But, they are working on projects of 249 mega watt capacity power projects.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Energy and Power said that beside, hilly areas, they are also initiating hydro-power projects on the canals of the plain areas. So power generation could start from them within a short period of six months. He said that though the previous government prepared a strategy for generating 2010 mega watt electricity, but work on them could not be started. He said that work on the Lawi Hydel Power Projects that was inaugurated during the previous government actually started eight months ago.
He said that Hydel Development Fund (HDF), which has now converted into Energy Development Fund (EDF) has a huge amount of Rs 30 billion, which will be invested in the sector. However, he said that new projects implemented under private sector will not generate profit for the province rather the province will receive only water charges as the profit will go to private investors.