KARACHI, Jan 5: The Sindh Government and Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB) will initiate six projects worth Rs4,485.2 million by September 2006 to generate power through biomass, wind and solar means.

A briefing on the proposed projects was given by the Adviser to Chief Minister on Environment, Alternate Energy and Information Technology, Muhammad Noman Saigol, at a joint press conference in his office on Thursday.

Chief Provincial Coordinator, AEDB, Tariq N Malik, Director Environment and Alternate Energy Department Maj (Retd) Saghir Ahmad Siddiqui and Col Asim were present then.

He said the government was seriously considering the issue of energy shortage, adding that these projects would fill the energy gap without having any environmental hazards. The feasibility and PC-I of all projects was ready to be executed, he said.

These projects also include pilot projects for attracting investors.

He said a biogas plant in Quaidabad costing Rs25 million would be completed between September 2006 and April 2007. Subsequently, work to set up five wind turbines, 10km each, at a cost of Rs10.2 million will start from October 2006.

A wave-energy project worth Rs20 million in Karachi will be initiated between September and October 2006 and hopefully be completed in June 2007, he said.

Other projects include a Rs80-million solar energy project in Karachi and a 10 MW solar power renewable project to electrify villages in the Thar District at a cost of Rs4,320 million. Work on both projects will be initiated in September 2006 and completed by June 2007.

Mr Saigol said these projects were aimed at alleviating the electricity burden. He said a 17 MW power plant at cost of Rs30 million would also be setup in Karachi under the plan.

He refused to link these projects with the construction of water reservoirs, saying that was a different matter and political deliberations were in progress on the same.

He did not agree with the perception that construction of large dams might inflict negative impacts on alternate energy projects being carried out under the Public Sector Development Programme 2006-07.

The adviser reiterated that these projects were initially costlier but their benefits would balance their cost in the long-run.

Tariq N Malik said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was taking keen interest in ensuring provision of electricity to villages, adding that the government planned to electrify 7,000 villages in Sindh and Balochistan provinces within three years. Investors had also showed interest in wind turbine projects in Gharo, Sindh.

Col Asim, Director General AEDB Sindh, said the new administration of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation had showed interest in procuring wind-generated electricity.

To a question, he said the issue of tariff could be negotiated between the government and private distributors of electricity.—PPI