ISLAMABAD: The Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB) has embarked upon an ambitious plan to enhance the energy mix upto 20-25 per cent by adding 3000-3500 megawatt wind-based electricity to the national grid system by 2018.
"Out of this, as many as 1396 megawatt wind-based electricity will include in the system by 2017 as the AEDB would complete several projects initiated for alternate power generation," Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Amjad A. Awan told APP here.
Awan said that currently the wind projects having 255.4 megawatt power generation capacity are operational across the country including FFC Energy (49.5 MW) Jhampir, ZorluEnerji Pakistan (56.4 MW) Jhampir, Three Gorges First Wind Farm Pakistan (49.5 MW) Jhampir, Foundation Wind Energy - II (50 MW) Gharo and Foundation Wind Energy I (50 MW) Gharo.
He said that 28 ongoing wind projects of 1396.4 capacity would be completed by 2017, which would play a major role in overcoming the energy crisis on which the government is focusing.
He said out of these, 9 projects (477 MW) have achieved financial close and are under construction. These projects include Sapphire Wind Power Company (50 MW), Yunus Energy (50 MW), Metro Power Company (50 MW) Jhampir, Tapal Wind Energy (30 MW) Jhampir, Gul Wind Energy (50 MW) Jhampir, United Energy Pakistan (99 MW) Jhampir, Hydro China Dawood Power (50 MW) Gharo, Master Wind Energy (50 MW) Jhampir and Tenaga Generasi (50 MW) Gharo.
Fourteen wind power projects with a cumulative capacity of 664 MW are at different stages of project development and are expected to be completed by 2017-2018.
He said that there has been strategies that favour that one percent of energy should come through alternate sector, however we aim to rise it up to 20-25 percent by 2018.
He said that power tariff for wind power projects has been reduced to 10.4 cents which indicates that this could prove a promising sector for future investments.
He was of the view that Pakistan was having huge wind-power generation potential and if exploited properly, it could become a very lucrative and feasible source of alternate energy.
"Pakistan naturally is gifted in alternate energy resources and this has been identified by mapping assessment of wind, solar and biomass in the country through ESMAP's (World Bank) assistance.
He said that although the wind potential has been evaluated at a huge scale, however, as far as our studies and surveys are concerned, we have specifically identified the wind corridors having power generation potential of 30,000 megawatt.
He said that the AEDB has identified the high-potential regions including in Southern Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab where electricity generation through wind has promising potential.
Awan said that some of the wind potential areas have also solar intensity, so in such regions both wind and solar energy could be generated simultaneously and this may also be very attractive for the investors.
He said that there has been good responses from the investors to invest in this particular field of energy generation and observed that when the investors are given confidence over the sustainability of the projects, they willingly come to invest.
The CEO said that historically Pakistan has been leading energy sector in the region as it has been pioneering to produced through various sources including coal, gas, bio-gas wind and solar. We were the first to set up regulatory authority and initiated power generation through Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
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