Energy projects need to be implemented: Nawaz

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Chief, Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said the energy projects need to be implemented and the provincial government, apart from generating power should also develop capacity of distribution. He was speaking at a meeting held to review various projects of energy in the province. A number of important decisions pertaining to energy generation also came under discussion.
Chairman Energy Department Punjab, Nadeem Babar gave detailed briefing with regard to energy projects in Punjab. He informed the participants that power projects could be started at 400-600 places on canals for generating energy through hydel power. The participants of the meeting put forth their suggestions and proposals with regard to generating energy through alternate resources.
It may be mentioned that the Punjab government has allocated an amount of Rs 9,000 million in the ADP 2011-12 to make investments in power sector projects for generation of electricity during the current year. Previous studies have identified over 300 sites on canals and barrages in Punjab having potential of power generation of about 600 MW. Out of these, 48 preferred sites with generation potential exceeding 2 MW at each site possess an overall power producing capacity of about 350 MW.
Addressing the meeting, Nawaz said that the energy projects would have to be implemented shortly so that industries could operate again and people get rid of loadshedding. He urged that private sector should be fully encouraged for making investments in energy sector and there should be an independent and autonomous board comprising professionals associated with private sector for execution and rapid completion of energy projects. He said that like coal and hydel, there is also vast scope for generating energy through solid waste, therefore, attention should also be paid to generating power though solid waste.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif said that the country was facing serious crisis of energy, which is not only hampering industrial activities but also depriving the labourers and workers of means of livelihood. He said that the Punjab government was working on various projects of energy generation and Rs 9 billion has been allocated for energy projects in the next financial year.
He said that powers of generating energy have been given to the provinces in the meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI), in the light of which Punjab government has made planning of generating power. He said that besides coal, Hydel power, solar and wind, a policy is also being evolved in consultation with sugar mills for generating power through trash of cane. He said that work is also being carried out for generating power through solid waste and an agreement of co-operation with Istanbul Municipality has also been made in this regard.
He said that the Punjab government has set up a separate department for completing energy projects and energy projects would be implemented promptly with the co-operation of public-private partnership. He said that an amount of Rs 1.36 billion is being allocated for installation of tube wells to be operated through solar energy for lessening the affects of energy crisis on rural economy.
Member National Assembly Khurram Dastgeer, Member Provincial Assembly Rana Afzal, Chairman Special Initiatives Haroon Khawaja, prominent industrialist, Mian Mansha, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning & Development, Secretary Finance, energy and mines experts also attended the meeting. It may be recalled that the 2002 Power Generation Policy of the Government of Pakistan allows provinces of Pakistan and AJK to develop power generation projects of up to 50 MW.