PEDO seeks power supply licence from Nepra

ISLAMABAD: The Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) has sought a power supply licence from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to providing electricity to bulk industrial consumers, including cement and textile mills.

PEDO has applied to the Nepra and the licence if granted, would allow PEDO to supply power generated from its 18 MW Pehur Hydropower Plant in District Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to industrial units within the Gadoon Amazi Industrial Estate.

The electricity generated from the Pehur Hydropower Plant will be transmitted to the 132 kV Gadoon Grid Station of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) through a 132-kV single circuit transmission line. This power will then be distributed to five significant industrial consumers in the Gadoon Amazi Industrial Estate.

These consumers include Cherat Cement Company Ltd., Premier Chipboard Industries (Pvt) Ltd., AJ Textile Mills Ltd., Gadoon Textile Mills Ltd., and Cherat Packaging Ltd. Each of these companies will receive a specified portion of the energy output, with AJ Textile Mills Ltd. and Gadoon Textile Mills Ltd. being the largest recipients, receiving 30 percent each. Premier Chipboard Industries (Pvt) Ltd. will receive 15 percent, while Cherat Cement Company Ltd. and Cherat Packaging Ltd. will receive 10 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

NEPRA has officially registered PEDO’s application for the licence and has called on stakeholders, interested parties, and the general public to submit their comments or objections within 15 working days from the publication of the notice. This regulatory step is part of the legal process for securing the power supply licence, allowing PEDO to distribute electricity directly to industrial consumers through PESCO’s network.

PEDO’s application falls under Section 23E of the Nepra Act, in conjunction with Regulation 4 of NEPRA’s Licensing (Electric Power Supplier) Regulations, 2022. PEDO already holds a generation licence for the Pehur Hydropower Plant, which allows it to generate electricity. However, the new application aims to secure a power supply licence to distribute that electricity to bulk consumers.

In addition to the Pehur Hydropower Plant, PEDO operates several other hydropower projects across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These include the 11.80 MW Karora Hydropower Project, the 36.60 MW Daral Khwar Hydropower Project, the 10.2 MW Jabori Hydropower Project, the 2.60 MW Machal Power Project, the 17 MW Ranolia Hydropower Project, the 4.20 MW Reshun Power Project, the 1.875 MW Shishi Power Project, and the 40.8 MW Koto Hydropower Project. These projects contribute to the region’s energy needs and help meet the demand for renewable energy sources.