175MW solar park on 600 acres soon: Minister

KARACHI:Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh has said that the 350MW solar park project is a big project, affordable, transparent and environment-friendly energy project for Karachi city.

Pakistan Peoples Party under the leadership of its Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is rapidly implementing welfare schemes and despite the federal government’s obstructive and delaying policies, the construction of the 350-megawatt solar park is tantamount to crossing a milestone.

Sheikh chaired the signing ceremony of a tripartite memorandum of understanding between the Sindh Government, K-Electric and the World Bank at the Sindh Energy Department office here today.

Talking to media after the ceremony, he said that 175MW solar park on 600 acres will be set up in Deh Halkani, Manghopir, district West Karachi, while another 175 MW solar park on 600 acres will be set up in Deh Shah Mureed district Malir Karachi. Both the solar parks will produce a total of 350 Megawatt energy.

The cost of these two solar gardens is estimated at 40 million Dollars and these two solar parks will have a total generating capacity of 350 MW and will be completed in 2 years to provide affordable, transparent and eco-friendly electricity to the citizens of Karachi.

Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh said that the Sindh government’s Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company will lay the transmission line for these both solar parks while K-Electric will build the electric grid station and purchase electricity from these solar parks. He said that cheap electricity would reduce the tariff and provide cheap electricity to the citizens.

He said that Sindh government is working expeditiously on transparent sources of energy in accordance with global environmental protocols and solar park projects will also be launched for other cities. Earlier, the memorandum of understanding was signed by Sindh Energy Department Secretary Abu Bakar Madani, K Electric Chief Executive Officer Monis Alvi and World Bank Pakistan Chief Mr. Najy Benhassine signed, who participated in meeting via zoom.