Karachi: The Sindh government has announced its decision to launch a ‘Sindh Solar Energy Project’ (SSEP) in collaboration with the World Bank (WB), a news source reported. As per officials, the provincial executive aims to provide electricity supplies to consumers at affordable rates.
Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh expressed his views on the matter during an SSEP session held on Thursday. He said that this WB-funded solar energy project would be developed at a cost of USD 100 million.
It has the following components:
Installation of solar systems on all government building rooftops in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Installation of solar home systems (through off-grid method) in 200,000 rural households of the province.
Installation of a 400-MW, the utility-scale solar power system in the province.
The consultants for the execution of all three components have already been chosen and the development work of the three components will be executed simultaneously. The project is expected to be completed in five years.
This project will benefit each Pakistani by decreasing the basket price of electricity for the consumers, said the energy minister. He added that this project was launched with an aim to utilise Sindh’s generous natural resources and generate maximum renewable electricity. A formal launch ceremony would take place soon, added the minister.
Previously, the provincial government announced it had commenced with the extraction of coal reserves in Thar for power generation. The first 660 MW project under this extraction scheme will become operational in the existing year.
The minister further stated the provincial government had been assisting the officials concerned with the establishment of a new wind energy facility in the Gharo-Jhimpir corridor. Moreover, he said that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) had awarded a licence to the Sindh Transmission & Dispatch Company to operate a provincial grid firm. The company will install its own transmission lines and construct grid station for the provision of power from the planned renewable energy sources.
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