National electricity plan, new energy policy to boost generation: Leghari

ISLAMABAD: A ‘National Electricity Plan’ along with a new ‘Energy Policy’ was being finalised in collaboration with provinces to help determine demand, supply, and future sources of power generation, a minister said on Thursday.

“The policy will play a major role in reducing tariff, which will be based on international competitive bidding,” Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, the federal minister for power, said at the 113th meeting of Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB). “All pending the Letters of Intent (LOIs) issued to sponsors will be accordingly evaluated under this plan.”

Leghari said the sponsors should diligently pursue their projects for timely implementation, while practice of granting extensions in accomplishing various milestones should be avoided to keep the plan for capacity addition on track. During the meeting, the Private Power and Infrastructure Board approved execution of Implementation Agreement (IA) with the +660kV HVDC Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line Project.

Extension in the date of financial close of 1320 MW imported coal-based power project at Hub was also approved without affecting the synchronisation date of the first unit on December 31, 2018 and Required Commercial Operation Date on August 1, 2019.

The board also accorded approval for submission of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) summary for the approval of IA and PPA for 1263 MW Trimmu regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) based power project.

The minister said that there were other aspects of the energy crisis, which were being tackling on war footing, including constraints in the transmission segment of the power sector, inefficiencies in the distribution system, the circular debt burden and inadequate checks on power theft.

“Eradicating load shedding, harnessing indigenous potential, controlling wrong meter-reading/overbilling and introducing net metering are extraordinary achievements of the government which will be instrumental in making our electricity network efficient,” Leghari said.

At the end of the meeting, the minister and board members expressed satisfaction on the progress of ongoing projects being handled by Private Power and Infrastructure Board.