Pakistan, China investment: Sindh plays host to $130m wind power project
Source : The Express Tribune Date : 30-09-2014
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KARACHI: An investment of $130 million is being made for setting up a 50-megawatt wind power project near Gharo, Sindh. Two private companies – HydroChina and Dawood Power Limited – are working on the project as part of a joint venture.
A state-owned Chinese bank will handle finances for the clean energy project while the Sindh government has allocated 1,720 acres of land. Dawood Power has got a Letter of Intent from the Alternative Energy Development Board.
The investors have acquired a no-objection certificate based on the Initial Environment Examination report from the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, along with a generation licence and upfront tariff from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority.
They have also entered into an energy purchase agreement with the National Transmission and Dispatch Company.
The financial close of the project is expected to be achieved by the end of 2014 and development work is scheduled to begin from January next year. It will be completed in 18 months and commercial operation will start before July 2016.
This project, which will generate employment opportunities, is a high priority for the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, while speaking at a sub-lease (land) signing ceremony at the CM House here, said Sindh had a lot of potential to utilise wind energy to its maximum.
“The government has developed a comprehensive energy policy to meet growing energy needs through cheap domestic resources, especially wind and coal,” said Shah. “The government of Sindh highly appreciates the Chinese investment for exploitation and exploration of resources.”
Officials of the provincial energy department said more than 40 companies were engaged in the province to produce 3,000MW from the wind corridor. They said another 50MW project was being executed by China Three Gorges Company, which would start supplying electricity to the national grid in two months.