ISLAMABAD: The government is taking all possible measures towards fast tract development of alternative and renewable energy resources to diversify its energy mix and ensure energy security and sustainable development in the country.
Official sources told APP here Monday that the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) has been mandated to act as a central agency for development and promotion of Alternative and Renewable Energy (ARE) technologies in the country and to facilitate the private sector investment in this area.
They said the AEDB has undertaken a number of supportive measures in order to promote ARE technologies and to attract private sector investments, which include; identification of new corridors for wind and solar energy projects development. Resource assessment of these corridors is underway.
National Grid Code for wind power projects has been amended. Grid Integration Plan 2010 -2015 for wind power projects has been developed by AEDB to support National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC).
The local manufacturing of micro wind turbine has been started. Manufacturing for large wind turbines is also being encouraged.
M/s DESCON has setup a wind turbine tower manufacturing facility and has provided towers for the first wind project in the country. M/s Three Gorges Corporation / CWE (China) has also established a tower manufacturing facility which will be upgraded to wind turbine assembling facility in future.
Similarly issues related to financing of projects have been resolved and now leading financing agencies like International Finance Corporation (IFC), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Trade Bank etc. are offering financing to wind power projects in Pakistan.
Thirty five wind power IPPs holding LOIs issued by AEDB are at various stages of project development.
In Solar Energy, 24 LOIs for cumulative capacity of approximately 792.99 MW On-Grid Solar PV power plants have been issued. Four companies have submitted the feasibility studies of their projects and one feasibility study is approved by AEDB. Other sponsors are at the stage of preparation of feasibility studies
Solar Village Electrification Programme was initiated under PM's directive. 3000 Solar Home Systems have been installed in 49 villages of district Tharparkar, Sindh. Another 51 villages in Sindh and 300 villages in Balochistan have been approved for electrification using solar energy and will be implemented shortly.
AEDB in light of SRO 575(1)12006 issued duty exemption certificates for a large number of solar panels / solar modules to private sector companies for installation / generation of almost 64.57MW of energy in the country. These solar panels / solar modules are deployed all over the country.
AEDB issued tax exemption certificate for import of almost 16715 units of Solar Water Heaters in the country. These heaters are deployed all over the country especially in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Northern Punjab.
AEDB also issued tax exemption certificate for import of about 1429 units of Solar Water Pumping System in the country.
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