Call for notifying tariffs of 600MWs wind, solar power projects

ISLAMABAD, July 31 (Gwadar Pro) - Foreign investors, including Chinese, Kuwaiti and German companies have recently called upon the federal government to issue notifications of the tariffs of as many as 11 wind and solar energy projects with a total capacity of more than 600 megawatts of clean and cheaper electricity.

The tariffs of these projects have been duly approved by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) but have not been notified so far in the official gazette by the Ministry of Energy, due to which the sponsors are unable to proceed with their plans. NEPRA has approved the lowest tariffs of around 3.5 US cents per unit for these projects, according to a letter sent by the Pakistan Foreign Renewable Energy Investors Forum to the Minister for Federal Board of Investment.

The projects include NORINCO Int’l Thatta Power (100 MWs wind power plant) in Sindh province, sponsored by NORINCO International. The P&G Energy, sponsored by Germany-based ib Vogt GmbH, has obtained a license for a 62.2 MWs solar power plant in Gwadar. Also, the Kuwait-based Enertech has obtained a license for a 50 MWs solar power plant in Bostan, Balochistan province. Other projects include the Iran-Pak wind power plant (50 MWs), Sino Well (50 MWs), Shafi Wind (50 MWs), Javed Solar (50 MWs), Kulachi Solar (50 MWs) and Moro Power (25 MWs).

The Sindh government has also urged the federal government to issue notifications of the tariffs of these power plants so that work could be started on these projects.

Mustafa Abdullah, VP of the Forum and CEO of Moro Power Co., told Gwadar Pro that the matter could be resolved at the federal cabinet level. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had recently assured officials of NORINCO Int’l of resolving the issues pertaining to their project.

These companies have already invested up to US$20 million in these projects on the purchase of land and paperwork and all the projects are ready for implementation, Mustafa said. He said that the projects were in line with the government’s vision for an increasing share of renewable energy in Pakistan’s power mix. The projects will attract US$450 million of foreign investment and create as many as 800 jobs, he said.