ISLAMABAD: The government plans to initiate the Rs 816 million project for laying transmission system to disperse electricity of 100 MW to be generated by wind mill power plant at Mirpur Sakro, Sindh.

"Under the proposed project, the electric power from the wind power plant will be transmitted to the National Grid System and will help meet future requirement of power. It will also cover power demand-supply gap in the Wapda system beyond the year 2007-08 to some extent, thus reducing the extent of load shedding in the country in future years," a senior government official told The News.

The project is to be executed by the NTDC (National Electric Dispatch Company) in 18 months and will be operated and maintained by Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO). The project envisages construction of 132 KV double circuit transmission line (60 kilometre) from wind plant to existing Thatta grid station and other 132 kv line of 15 km single circuit transmission line from wind plant to existing Mirpur Sakro grid station with necessary protection equipment, line bays etc for dispersal of 100 MW of power to be generated by the wind mill power plant.

To a question the official said that at present there is a power supply shortage in the system. The power demand projection based on medium growth rate shows that power demand will increase from 12035 MW in 2005 to about 17000 MW in 2010 in the Wapda system and severe shortage of power is expected in the next two years. To meet this demand an additional capacity of order of 7000 MW would be needed.

He said the country has abundant renewable energy resources which mainly constitutes hydro, wind and solar. However, solar and wind resources for power generation could not be developed whereas only meagre quantum of hydro potential could be developed in past. "This resulted in expensive electricity of which affected the industrial as well as social sector."

The official said the government was also devising strategy for additional power generation requirements through development of indigenous resources such as hydro, coal, natural gas and nuclear. He said that it is planned to add about 46oo MW hydro, 1050 MW on coal, 1000 MW combined cycle on gas and 325 MW nuclear capacities into the system by 2011.

Other renewable energy resources such as wind and solar will also be exploited and for this purpose, an alternative energy development board (AEDB) has been established by the government to coordinate, facilitate and promote alternative technologies so as to chive 10 percent share of power through renewable resources by the year 2015. He said that to promote and develop renewable energy technologies in the country, AEDB has planned to attract private investors.



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