The Government of Pakistan is pushing for 3,600 MW of gas power generation capacity to be added to the grid before the end of this year. The Jhang, Sheikhupura and Balloki projects are all due to be completed in 2017, Punjab chief minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said, pointing out that developers managed to save a combined Rs.112 billion (US$1.06bn) during construction as many project are being fast-tracked.
The Minister pointed out that the 3.6 GW gas-fired generation capacity will be completed in just 26 month: “A new history of hard work, honesty and continuous struggle was being written with regard to works on [these] energy projects,” he said at a meeting when reviewing the progress of projects in Punjab province.
The push to speed up the construction of gas-fired power stations comes as the Government sees these flexible plants as a means to help alleviate Pakistan’s energy crisis. In addition to flexible operation and fast ramp rates, open- but also combined-cycle gas power plants emit substantially less carbon emissions than coal-fired plants.
Nonetheless, Pakistan also has to count on coal as a fuel to cover its energy needs. Minster Sharif said that 1,320 MW Sahiwal Coal Power Project would also be completed in record time. Start-up of this plant would result – as he put it – “in [the] elimination of darkness from the country and provision of cheap electricity to the consumers”.
Eager to end crippling power shortages, the Punjab regional government is supporting power eneration through coal, gas, wind, solar and other sources, he pointed out. As for renewable, the 100 MW solar project at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur was fully state-funded, while Zorlu Energy of Turkey has signed agreements to evaluate additional solar power projects.