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Karachi, FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh has called for the immediate and complete off-take of electricity from twelve operational wind power projects, which produce power at a cost-effective rate of PKR 14.5 per unit. This move is seen as crucial to addressing ongoing power shortages and reducing electricity costs.
According to Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, these wind projects are aligned with both the Renewable Energy Policy of 2006 and the existing power purchase agreements, facilitating significant local and foreign investments in the sector. Despite their cost-effectiveness and readiness, these projects face bureaucratic hurdles that prevent their full integration into the national grid.
Mr. Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, SVP of FPCCI, highlighted that K-Electric’s recent efforts to incorporate a 30 percent renewable energy mix by 2030 could benefit significantly from these wind projects, especially since the necessary transmission infrastructure between NTDC’s Jhimpirt-II grid station and KE’s KDA transmission network is already in place. Utilizing this existing infrastructure could prevent the wastage of low-cost electricity and offer relief to the public burdened by high energy costs.
Further compounding the issue, Mr. Asif Inam, VP of FPCCI and Chairman of APTMA, voiced concerns over the impact of frequent load-shedding on the public amidst sweltering summer heat. He criticized the government’s generation curtailments on wind power plants as a paradoxical and inefficient management of energy resources. Mr. Inam also noted that the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) has failed to evacuate cheaper electricity generated in Jhimpir, Sindh, to Punjab’s load centers via the HVDC Matiari-Lahore transmission line, forcing reliance on more expensive power plants in Punjab.
Mr. Fawad Jawed, Convener of FPCCI’s Central Standing Committee on Renewable Energy, emphasized that these curtailments contradict the policies of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) aimed at promoting clean energy. He expressed concerns about the financial viability and sustainability of these wind projects, which have been supported by significant foreign investment from entities like the World Bank’s IFC, UK Government’s British International Investments, and the Islamic Corporation for Development. He warned that failure to resolve these issues could deter future domestic and foreign investments in Pakistan’s renewable energy sector.
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