Pakistan and Russia are in talks to revamp and upgrade a 600 MW gas-fired power plant at Jamshoro, based on Russian funding. Feasibility of the project has already been determined so the Pakistani energy minister called it “one of the most viable projects in which the Russian Federation can invest in.”
Key part of the upgrade is to retrofit the existing low-efficiency power plat with a higher efficiency turbine. No further details were disclosed by the operator as for the make or efficiency rating of this new turbine.
Keen avert future power shortages, Pakistan has also invited Russia to join the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000). It seeks to import fossil power from southern Russia in the months between October and April to Pakistan – a time when hydroelectric power supply is low in the region.
As for gas supply, Pakistan and Russia are ready to start working on another key joint energy project: the construction of the 683-mile Karachi-to-Lahore pipeline is meant to start before the end of October, based on an agreement signed last year. The pipeline is expected to cost some $2 billion and will have an annual gas transit capacity of up to 12.4 billion cubic meters (Bcm/y).
Pakistan struggles with supply gap
Peak power demand this summer has opened a supply gap of 7,300 MW in Pakistan, forcing the energy ministry to mandate the diversion of 300 mmcf/d of natural gas to inefficient power plants before the start of summer 2017. To avert similar energy shortages in the future, the government now seeks to add 10,000 MW of power generation capacity to national grid.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reiterated calls for a “timely completion” of power projects across the country. Several plant conversions and new-builds with a combined capacity of nearly 5.8 GW are targeted to supply electricity to the grid by mid-2018.
New power projects that are targeted to deliver a much-needed stable supply of electricity to the grid by mid-2018, include the conversion of Guddu Power & Nandipur Power plants to natural gas, three LNG-fired power plants in Punjab, the Sahiwal coal power plant (1,350MW) and Port Qasim power plant (1,320 MW) as well as two nuclear power plants (650 MW each).
