Wind power producers seek tariffs for 650MW projects

KARACHI: Wind power producers sought tariffs from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) for their upcoming projects of 650 megawatts, an official document said.

At least 13 wind power producers approached Nepra seeking feed-in tariffs for a cumulative 650MW of electricity generation projects to tap into the country’s growing renewable energy market.

The proposed feed-in tariffs range from Rs7.01/kilowatt-hour (kWh) to Rs8.09/kWh depending on the technology and debt arrangements.

Wind electricity producers that sought feed-in tariffs for their respective generation facilities of 50MW each include Gul Ahmed Energy, Din Energy, Nasda Green Energy, Metro Wind Power, Liberty Wind Power-I, Liberty Wind Power-II, ACT2 Wind, Shaheen Renewable Energy, Western Energy, Master Green Energy, Indus Wind Energy, Artistic Wind Power and Lakeside Energy.

The power regulator will consider the “tariff petitions to determine whether the proposed costs, capacity, financing terms and return on equity are rational and justified,” the document said.

Currently, 15 wind energy projects having a combined capacity of 788.5MW are operating in the country and nine wind energy projects having a combined capacity of 445.8MW are at different stages of construction.

Pakistan is moving ahead towards overcoming its energy crisis. A key solution is the injection of electricity through base load power plants run on liquefied natural gas and coal.

While 10,000 megawatts of electricity is expected to be added into the system by this year the country still needs to pace up to meet ever-increasing power demand due to growing economy size.

Base load plants are generating electricity through imported fuels, which increase the burden on the foreign exchange reserves. Therefore, it is imperative for Pakistan to look for indigenous/cheap energy resources for sustainable growth.

Renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy with no environmental impacts. Pakistan has abundant wind resources with an estimated 50,000MW potential, which should be utilised to provide affordable electric energy.

The country’s coastal belt is blessed with a wind corridor that is 60-kilometre wide from Gharo to Keti Bandar and 180km long up to Hyderabad.

Analysts said wind power could become a significant contributor to Pakistan’s electricity supply in the near future.

Wind power generation projects support the government objectives of reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing diversity in energy mix, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and saving foreign exchange reserves, they said.