KARACHI: A NEPRA Authority delegation led by Chairman Tauseef Farooqi, visited K-Electric’s (KE) state-of-the-art 560 MW Bin Qasim Power Plant (BQPS) – II and also reviewed the fast-track development work at the adjacent 900 MW RLNG-fired Bin Qasim Power Plant (BQPS) – III.
The delegation included Saif Ullah Chattha, Honourable Vice Chairman and Member – Punjab, Rafique Ahmad Shaikh, Honourable Member – Sindh, Rehmatullah Baloch, Honourable Member – Balochistan, Engr. Bahadur Shah, Honourable Member – KPK and Ms. Huma Zafar, CSR Head.
According to a statement issued on Thursday, the highly efficient combined cycle-power BQPS-III power plant will add much needed capacity to Karachi’s generation capability and will have a substantial positive impact on the fleet efficiency of KE. The NEPRA delegation was informed about KE’s efforts at more efficient power generation to reduce the carbon footprint as well as make power more affordable for consumers.
The delegation was briefed about KE’s continued investment in the city’s power infrastructure as well as plans for the future, to ensure power demands were met going forward. Mr. Moonis Abdullah Alvi, CEO K-Electric, Mr. Aamir Ghaziani, Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Amer Zia, Chief Distribution Officer, Ms. Sadia Dada, Chief Marketing and Communication Officer and other members of the KE Leadership hosted the delegation.
Tauseef Farooqi, Chairman of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) spoke about the need for increased efforts towards producing efficient, and cleaner energy said, “It is my vision that NEPRA play a more prominent and proactive role in ensuring cheaper electricity for both domestic and industrial consumers. This is essential for the promotion of business activities and investment in the country. There is the need for out of the box solutions mixed with traditional approaches to address challenges faced by the power sector. While it is important to focus on the latest developments in the energy landscape and focus on renewables such as wind and solar, we also have to maximize Pakistan’s hydel potential, in the interest of generating cheaper electricity.”
The NEPRA delegation also visited Khokhrapar, Malir, and was given a briefing of the power utility’s continued efforts at electrification of underprivileged areas as part of its Project Sarbulandi which has been envisioned to reduce load-shed through conversion to theft-resistant Aerial Bundled Cable (ABC). In just six months the power utility has been able to bring down Aggregate Technical and Commercial Losses in two localities of Malir – Muslimabad and Sohail Town with a combined population of around 200,000 – by an average of 15% resulting in a corresponding drop in load-shed, reflecting what has been achieved in other areas by Project Sarbulandi as well. The delegation was also able to witness first-hand the challenges of working in encroached areas and difficulties serving in these unplanned areas which make up around a third of the city.
Moonis Alvi, CEO KE, talked about KE’s robust USD 1.5 bn investment plan in the next 3 years, sharing that the first unit of BQPS-III is expected to commence operations by summer 2021, “While KE has a committed investment plan to power Karachi, we are also working closely with all government bodies to materialize the off-take of additional power from the national grid and ensure sustainable growth of power supply in line with Karachi’s growing power demand. We look forward to the completion of all necessary agreements such as PPAs and GSAs along with upgrades to interconnection facilities so that Karachi is able to benefit from this power as per the planned timelines.”
KE management also expressed the hope that all stakeholders will ensure swift progress against commitments made. The NEPRA Authority also visited K-Electric’s integrated Business Center at Tipu Sultan Road, which has earned the prestigious LEED Gold Building certification for the use of energy efficient materials and processes. LEED is an international green building certification system, awarded by the US Green Building Council, verifying that a construction is designed compliant with global standards of energy performance and conservation, reduction in carbon emissions, indoor environment quality and water efficiency.