The Sindh Energy Department in presence of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah signed an agreement with private firms to launch World Bank-sponsored $105 million Sindh Solar Energy Project (SSEP).
The signing ceremony was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh, Minister Information Saeed Ghani, Advisor to CM Murtaza Wahab, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Energy Musadiq Khan, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, CEO HESCO Abdul Haq Memon, CEO STDC Rehan Hamid, CEO Elan Partner, Consultants Mr. Zaiuddin Ahmed, CEO Foresight Ltd Zubair Ahmed, World Bank Sr. Energy Specialists Mr Oliver Knight and World Bank Anjum Ahmed, Umul Awan, Kazim Saeed, PD SSEP Mehfooz Ahmed Qazi, Shaikh Amer Zia, Asmar Naim and Khayyam Siddiqui of K-Electric, Aijaz Rizvi of AID Private Company and others.
Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh briefing the chief minister said that the Sindh Solar Energy Project was being funded by the World Bank with the assistance of $100 while the provincial government would provide $5 million.
He said that the PD of the project has been appointed who has hired private firms to implement the project through private firms. The K-Electric, Hesco and Sepco would also support the project.
There are three components of the project as follows: A 400 MW solar park would be established for $40 million at Manjhand.
The third component is 200,000 solar home systems for remote are areas in 10 districts of the province through solar Parks for $30 million. Through this project solar electricity would be provided to 200,000 houses in the area which are out of grid zones.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh to sign an agreement with a private firm to operate and maintain solar park through which 200,000 houses would be provided electricity.
Imtiaz Shaikh told the chief minister that in order to implement all three components of the SSEP contracts have been finalized under World Bank guidelines. Survey would be conducted to identify government buildings and to prepare bills of quantities to install the solar systems on the rooftop.
The household survey firm to carry out survey in 10 districts with particular reference to energy consumption in both, off-grid and on-grid areas of the province.
Mr. Shah said that after implementation of these components Rs500 million of the government would be saved in electricity bills.—INP
