Agreement signed: Solar power project to cater 17,000 families

LAHORE:A ceremony was held at Chief Minister’s Office to sign an agreement between Punjab Power Development Board of Energy Department, Alternate Energy Development Board and Zhenfa Pakistan New Energy Company for setting up a 100-megawatt solar project in Chaubara area of Layyah District with an investment of Rs10 billion.

This project will generate electricity at a minimum tariff of 3.7 cents per unit. Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Federal Energy Minister Umer Ayub Khan were the chief guests of the event.

The PPDB MD, AEDB CEO and Zhenfa Pakistan New Energy Company CEO signed the letter of support. Addressing the ceremony, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar stated that 17.30 crore electricity units will be provided to the national grid through this project to fulfil the needs of around 17,000 families.

He said around 70 per cent of total electricity generated is used in Punjab and the province pays 82 per cent revenue of the national income generated from the electricity sector. The PTI government is working for cheap electricity generation as the past government set up expensive energy projects which burdened the masses, he added. He announced that government offices will be shifted to solar energy in phases, adding that shifting of 950 BHUs to solar energy is in progress.

Punjab Energy Efficiency and Conservation Agency is providing technical advice to government institutions and energy conservation building codes have also been compiled which will help save money, he stated. He disclosed that a proposal is being reviewed to transfer industrial estates, Wasas and Orange Line Train type projects on alternate energy. The government is facilitating the investors as ample investment opportunities are available in the energy sector, he said. A mechanism has been devised to ensure implementation of energy projects in a minimum of time, he said.

Meanwhile, the waste-to-energy project is also being studied by the Punjab government, the CM concluded.

Federal Minister Umer Ayub Khan stated the solar project agreement was signed with minimum tariff for which CM Usman Buzdar and his team deserve accolade. Poor planning was done in the past but the incumbent government is generating electricity through cheap resources, he said. Net metering will be brought to single phase as transmission lines have been improved which have the capability to supply 24,000-megawatt electricity. Separate tariff for Wasas is also being reviewed, he added. Energy Minister Akhtar Malik said that most expensive solar projects were set up in the past government and public money was mercilessly wasted. Eight thousand schools have been shifted to solar energy and the target of shifting 15,000 schools to solar energy will be achieved. Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, parliamentarians Ghazeen Abbasi and Sadia Sohail, adviser Dr Salman Shah and energy experts were also present.

Governor: Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar met with Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar at the CM office and discussed matters of mutual interest. The governor congratulated the chief minister on completion of two years of the Punjab government and appreciated the provincial government’s performance.

Ch Sarwar said that he visited Karachi to express solidarity with the rain-affected people, adding that all sympathies were with the affectees. The chief minister said era of political jugglery was over and the government was taking practical steps for public service, he said and regretted that the opposition was making a futile attempt of political point-scoring on Karachi issue.

thanks people: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has thanked the people for their cooperation during COVID-19 lockdown adding that situation in Punjab is better than other provinces.

The smart lockdown yielded positive results but care should be observed as the virus has not ended yet. The use of the face mask is helpful in saving the people from the virus and the citizens should make a habit of wearing face masks, the chief minister added. He stated that 62 corona patients had been reported in Punjab during the last 24 hours and one patient died while the number of active cases is 2253. Besides, 52,592 patients have recovered in Punjab while 9,388 have tested during the last 24 hours while a total of 976,000 tests were conducted in Punjab.