Power generation to rise 3,000MW by Dec

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISLAMABAD: The government is fully committed to achieving its targets for adding required power capacity to the national grid and getting rid of loadshedding by the end of December this year.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Parvez Ashraf stated this while chairing 81st meeting of Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) here on Monday, says a press release. He said 3,000 megawatts would be added to the system by December, which included independent power projects and rental projects being processed by PPIB in the private sector as well as projects being brought in the public sector by Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO).

Water and Power Secretary Shahid Rafi, Planning Commission Secretary Dr Ashraf Hayat, Petroleum and Natural Resources Special Secretary GA Sabri and PPIB Managing Director Fayyaz Elahi, besides other senior government officials and private members of the Board, attended the meeting. Progress of all power projects was reviewed.

PPIB Managing Director Fayyaz Elahi gave a briefing on the status of under-construction independent power projects, based on site visits, to which the board expressed satisfaction. The water and power minister said the PPIB team should remain on its toes and was confident that loadshedding would be eliminated by December this year. Keeping in view future electricity demand and growth in next five years, he said, planning should be done before time “so that we are fully prepared to avoid future electricity deficits.”

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