KARACHI: The Sindh government has allocated Rs16.5 billion for energy projects for the financial year 2015-16.
The amount includes Rs13.833 billion for 10 ongoing schemes and Rs2.666 billion for eight new schemes.
Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presenting the budget, said that the provincial government would be focusing on Thar coal development, which is “a flagship project vital for energy security.” It has earmarked Rs9.79 billion for 13 Thar Coal schemes (nine ongoing and four new).
“Commercial operation of first phase of two 330MW power plants is scheduled in 2018,” he said, adding that the provincial government was working towards the goal of producing 10,000MW from Thar coal by 2020.
As for solar power generation, five projects of 20MW each have been planned in PPP (public-private partnership) mode at Thatta, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Jamshoro and Larkana districts, and six projects of 100MW each in IPP (independent power producer) mode.
On wind energy, he said Sindh has so far completed five projects of 256MW, while nine projects of 477MW are under construction. Moreover, 25 projects of 2,200MW are at various stages of development. “It is expected that each year 100MW will be added to the national grid.”
Sindh has also issued letters of intent for construction of 9MW and 15MW hydropower generation facilities at Rohri Canal and Nara Canal. The minister said the two projects are expected to start generating power by 2017.
