Rural Electrification Programme: 49 villages in Sindh energised through solar power

Around 3000 homes in 49 villages of Sindh Province have been energised so far through use of solar energy under Rural Electrification Programme. A PC-I for electrification of 300 villages of Balochistan have been approved and will be executed on availability of funds under the programme launched Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB) for remote areas in the country.
An official source on Sunday said the Board, mandated to facilitate private sector to develop Alternative and Renewable Energy (ARE) including wind, solar, waste to energy, hydro etc. had also initiated Parliamentarians Sponsored Village Electrification Program (PSVEP) funded from the development budget of the legislators.
Under this Programme, the official said two schemes have been implemented with the cost of Rs 48 million while proposals (after completing the feasibility studies) for 23 schemes, costing Rs 1.655 billion have been submitted for approval and release of funds. He said feasibility is being conducted for another 10 schemes, are at various stages of development.
Enumerating details of other projects, the official said with the main objective to reduce the demand and dependence on national grid through solar energy, AEDB has undertaken a programme with the assistance of World Bank for Efficiency Improvement of Existing Tube-wells and Introduction of Renewable Energy for Ground water Pumping for Multiple Uses in Pakistan.
In order to promote wind energy, the Board issued 38 LOIs with an average capacity of 50MW each (5MW to 250MW). These projects are at various stages of development and implementation.
He said on ground work on 3 x 50MW wind farms has started, and 400MW is expected to achieve financial close in 2012 under the policy and added fast track policy and feed-in-tariff have also been announced which are expected to yield another 1000MW.
In solar area, eight LOIs for Solar PV parks have been issued to different IPPs while in Biomas/Waste to Energy area, three LOIs issued to private investors for one project in Punjab and two in Sindh.
Moreover, he said 103 micro hydel projects (15MW) initiated in Chitral (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Gilgit-Baltistan area with UNDP-GEF collaboration while 8 Hydro Power Projects have been initiated under the Renewable Energy Development Sector Investment Programme (REDSIP) with the support of ADB.