ISLAMABAD: Under a two pronged strategy, the government, in short-term policy, envisages an immediate measure to generate 1,000MW electricity based on well-head gas in areas under Hesco and Sepco. Secondly, there is a plan for another 1,000MW power generation package, also under Hesco and Sepco based on local gas supply and bids for these projects have already been invited till January 15.
Similarly the long term policy LNG based power plants of 3,600MW capacity would be set up till 2017 at Haveli Bahadur Jang, Balloki and Bhakki near Shahdara, Lahore.
Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar stated this while chairing a meeting held to review measures for meeting energy shortage in the country. The meeting noted that 5,600 megawatt of electricity would be added into national grid in next few years.
Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja M Asif and Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi were also present on the occasion.
The meeting reviewed salient features for the short and long term plans of the Ministry of Water and Power for meeting energy shortage country wide, in line with instructions of the Prime Minister.
Altogether, the short and long term measures would add up 5,600MW of electricity to the national grid.
Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar at this juncture said that along with power generation, proper transmission facilities should also be ensured. It was the foremost requirement for success of both short and long term measures, he added. The Minister directed re-convening of the sub-committee on Monday to finalise its deliberations and formulation of recommendations for submission to the Prime Minister at the next meeting of Cabinet Committee on Energy.
It may be added that apart from these two short and long term projects, there are also a number of coal, wind and solar based energy projects which are to be undertaken as part of the China-Pakistan Energy Corridor.
