Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh has said that Sindh’s environment is very conducive for environmentally friendly energy projects. Nature has blessed us with a wealth of solar energy as well as Pakistan’s largest wind corridor is in Sindh. He said this in an important meeting held with the officials of the World Bank on video link on Thursday. The meeting reviewed the progress and speed of implementation of solar energy projects in Sindh with the assistance of the World Bank. Senior Energy Specialist Oliver Knight, World Bank’s Anjum Ahmed, Maha Arshad and other officials besides Sindh Energy Secretary Tariq Ali Shah, Project Director Energy Department Qazi Mahfooz and other officials were present. On the occasion, Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh stressed on the need to develop two solar parks of 560 MW in Manjhind district of Jamshoro and 330 MW in Gharo district of Thatta so that there is acute shortage of power to avoid crisis Imtiaz Sheikh also called for progress in talks with K-Electric. He said that the Sindh government has decided to first solarize the hospitals in all the districts of the province which have Corona Emergency Centers. He was informed that in the first phase, work on a project costing Rs 1.2 billion to run 29 such hospitals in different districts of the province on solar power would be completed by March 2021. After which other hospitals in the province will also be solarized. The meeting also directed to expedite the work on projects to provide solar power to 200,000 poor households in remote districts of Sindh at very affordable rates. The Energy Minister directed the officers of the energy department to use all their capabilities to make public welfare schemes workable as soon as possible.
