Three companies get power generation licences

KARACHI: Pakistan has issued generation licences to three companies for bagasse-based electricity generation, as the energy-starved country envisages that at least five percent of the total national power generation capacity, ie, 9,700MW would be met through renewable energy resources by 2030.

Indus Energy Limited has been granted licence for 31MW bagasse-based generation / co-generation in Punjab, while Mirpurkhas Energy Limited and Faran Energy Limited have been granted licence for bagasse-based generation of 26MW each in Sindh.

“The existing energy mix of the country is heavily skewed towards the thermal power plants, mainly operating on imported fossil fuel,” National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) noted in its determination.

Therefore, in order to achieve sustainable development it is imperative that indigenous renewable resources are given priority for power generation and their development is encouraged. The Energy Security Action Plan 2005 duly recognises this very aspect of power generation.

Alternative Energy Development Board's (AEDB) chief executive officer Amjad Ali Awan in an interview said currently the installed capacity of renewable energy is 1,350MW.

“Over 1,000 megawatts from renewable sources, including solar, wind and sugarcane bagasse will be added to the system in the next one-and-a-half years.”

Installed capacity of wind is 790MW, which will be taken to 1,240MW, while the target for sugarcane bagasse is 800MW from the current 160MW by the end of 2018.

In recent years, there has been exponential growth of bagasse / biomass-based power projects. Many sugar mills were already engaged in electricity production for their self-use and supplying surplus power to the electricity distribution companies, it added.