FFC Energy Limited (FFCEL), a subsidiary of Fauji Fertiliser Company Ltd, is in its final stage of completing Pakistan's first 50-megawatt wind energy project at Jhampir, District Thatta of Sindh. The project will start its trial energy production from June 2012, which would be provided to national grid free of cost till the start of commercial operation in November this year.
This was stated by Brigadier Tariq Izaz (Retd), Project Director Wind Power, during a visit of journalist's delegation to the project site on Thursday. Izaz was of the view that Pakistan had the potential of producing up to 346 GW of electricity through wind energy alone, provided the country's wind energy potential was fully utilised.
Pakistan would be well ahead on the path of energy security and prosperity if utilisation of the indigenous energy resources was ensured. Giving details, he said the company acquired 1,283 acres of land for the project and had invested about US $135 million on the project. Currently the company was installing 33 wind turbines, he said adding that 60 percent work on the project had been completed He further said that seven wind turbines had already been installed and 25 towers were in different manufacturing stages at Bin Qasim.
"Construction of 3-km access road, 18-km internal roads, culverts over SSGC gas line and temporary site facilities has been completed whereas construction of watch towers, substation, workshop, dormitory and crane pads is in progress," he informed. The Project Director said that the power purchaser, NTDC had also started work on construction of grid connection to the site and 10 out of 28 transmission towers had been erected.
He informed that the FFCEL started work on the project in March 2007 after the land allocation by AEDB (Alternate Energy Development Board) and a license was obtained from Nepra. During the visit, experts pointed out that Pakistan was one of the few countries having rich renewable energy resources in all three avenues of wind, solar and hydel. "Each of the areas has a potential of above 60,000 MW and we are using a mere 11 percent of the hydel resource only." They regretted that many countries in the world had launched successful programmes for the development and exploitation of alternative and renewable energy resources, but Pakistan had so far failed to utilise its wind, hydel and solar resources.
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