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Hydel power potential to overcome energy crisis
Islamabad—Blessed with an enormous hydropower
international funding agencies as most of hydel projects of the
country including Tarbela and Warsak are located in it and it could
overcome the prevailing energy crisis in the country provided the
hydropower potential was properly exploited. Faced with the power
crises of the country’s history the government needs to focus on
initiating both small and large size hydel power projects besides
developing alternative means of energy in view of the growing power
demands.
Although the current electricity crises has badly affected every
sector of life including the domestic consumers yet the business
sector was the badly hit which was ultimately affecting the economy
of the country besides being a major contributing factor for price
hike and inflation.
With a view to explore and develop the hydropower potential in the
Province, the NWFP Government set-up Sarhad Hydel Development
Organization (SHYDO) in 1986 that work under the administrative
control of Irrigation and Power Department NWFP.
In line with its objectives, SHYDO has completed the feasibility
report of several hydel projects including Daral Khwar, Batal Khwar
in district Swat, Ranolia and Summar Gah in district Kohistan
besides identifying 12 sites for small hydel projects with the
capacity of 80 MW power generation in district Chitral.
Moreover, several large hydropower projects including Khan Khwar,
Allai Khwar, Duber Khwar were under implementation by WAPDA whereas
the feasibility study of Chor Nala, Spat Gah, Keyal Khwar and
Kandiah was in process.
Managing Director SHYDO, Engr. S. Ishtiaq Hussain Shah when
contacted by this scribe said that Pakistan is blessed with a hydel
potential of approximately 40,000 MW out of which 70 percent is
located in NWFP adding that the total installed capacity of
hydropower stations in the country was about 6595 MW with 50 percent
share of NWFP that produce 3767 MW. He informed that a number of
hydel projects with the total capacity of about 700MW in NWFP are
under implementation adding that 6000 MW of hydel potential has been
identified by the organization so far that was under various stages
of planning.
He said that SHYDO could issue Letter of Intent (LOI) up to 50
percent Megawatt capacity hydel projects to private investors as per
the revised Hydel Power Policy NWFP while the Private Power and
Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and WAPDA could issue the LOI for more
than 50 MW capacities. Ishtiaq Hussain Shah said that Malakand-III
project has been completed that could produce 81 MW.
Power generation from the project has been started which would earn
two billion rupees in the head of the net hydel for the Province
annually as compared to the six billion rupees earned by other hydel
projects of Tarbela, Jaban, Warsak and Dargai. Giving details about
the on-going hydel projects, he said that Pehur hydropower project
with the capacity of 18MW power generation would be completed by the
end of the current year whereas Reshun and Shishi hydel projects
with the total capacity of 4.2 and 1.8 MWs respectively have been
completed in Chitral.
He said that the present government has realized the hydel potential
of the Province and has not only financially supported SHYDO but has
also assured to authorize the organization to issue LOI of up to 200
MW to private investors. In reply to a question about the current
shortfall of electricity in the Province, he said that NWFP was
facing the shortage of 400 MW, as the total requirement of the
Province was 2100 MW whereas it was receiving 1700 MW.
Furthermore, he went on to add that the total power requirement of
the country stand at 17000 Megawatt whereas the current power
production was 13000 MW taking the shortage to 4000 MWs. The
feasibility report of Daral Khwar, Ranolia Machai hydel projects
were completed with the assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB)
and the construction work on these projects would be started by the
end of the current year, he added.—APP
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