Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has planned to set up new nuclear power plants in Sindh - one having a capacity of 1000 MW in Karachi near Kanupp, Sindh Electric Power Minister Shazia Marri told Sindh Assembly on Friday. She said that work on the project was expected to start in 2012-13 and it would complete within seven years.
Replying to members' questions, she said that PAEC was also searching for a plot to install a nuclear power plant in Sukkur. She further said that the PAEC was planning to set up a total of 8800 MW of power projects across the country by 2030. However, she declined to answer whether the PAEC's nuclear power plants after completion would be handed over to Sindh or not, saying the question was premature to be replied at this moment.
Regarding KESC's excess billings, she showed ignorance whether it was unlawful or not, saying there was a prescribed procedure which ultimately leaded to court hearing of such cases and the judiciary had to decide its legal aspects. She said KESC did not provide the government's department the information about the board members, but she informed the house that there were three federal officials on the private company's board.
To a question, she said Wapda had four power projects on River Indus including Jinnah Hydropower Project, Chashma Hydropower Project, Taunsa Hydropower Project and Guddu Hydropower Project. She said work on Jinnah Hydropower Project was in progress and it would become operational by December 2012 and Chashma Hydropower Project was operational since 2003.
She added the Wapda had completed feasibility study of Taunsa Hydropower Project, which had been handed over to the Punjab Government. "It is located on Taunsa Barrage," she said, adding that Wapda had conducted feasibility study of Guddu Hydropower Project in 1990 but not handed over it to the Sindh Government.
Marri said the Sindh government had singed a document of intent with China's Three Gorges Project Corporation (CTGPC) for development of hydropower projects in the province. She said a team of Andrits Hydropower, Austria had visited Sukkur to explore the possibility of setting up a power project at Sukkur Barrage. "They have submitted a preliminary report containing the Commercial Draft Proposal and the Technical Proposal for setting up Small Hydropower Projects at Rohri Canal. This is under examination," she told the house.