Month: February 2024

Power firms’ performance below par despite high tariffs: Nepra

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power-subsidy

ISLAMABAD: True to general perception, the country’s power generation plants and transmission systems in the public and private sectors are below par in terms of their respective performance standards affecting the quality of service despite higher consumer tariffs, according to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). According to the regulator’s Performance Evaluation Reports (PERs) of power plants for 2022-23, the only exceptional sector with outstanding performance turned out to be the nuclear power plants involving a total generation capacity of about 3,600MW. Conversely, most of the thermal plants remained mostly…

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Saudi firm keen to invest in renewable energy sector

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Global-power

ISLAMABAD: Saudi company ACWA Power is reportedly ready to offer low tariff for solar project of 600 MWp subject to minimum project risk in Pakistan as it has installed solar projects at Cents 2 per unit in UAE and Oman, well informed sources told Business Recorder. The ACWA Power has been interested to invest in the renewable energy sector in Pakistan for the past several years. The company has also been given directions in this regard by the Kingdom’s leadership. However, the investment has not materialised due to several reasons on…

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Hesco, Gepco privatisation okayed

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Hesco-Gepco

CCoP increases Privatisation Commission budget by Rs2.2b or 175% ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) on Wednesday approved handing over the management control of the two loss-making power distribution companies to the private sector aimed at stemming their losses and improving efficiency. Headed by Privatisation Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad, the CCoP also approved revising the budget of the Privatisation Commission, jacking it up by 175% or Rs2.2 billion. The Commission’s budget has increased phenomenally during the course of the fiscal year to make room for the majority of the…

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Water scarcity sparks dam project scrutiny

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neelum-jhelum

Ministry of Water Resources once again addresses crisis caused by Neelum-Jhelum project ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) has once again addressed the issue of water shortage caused in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) capital after the completion of the 969 MW Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHPP) in a recent meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy. The NJHPP is a run-of-the-river hydropower project that started electricity generation in April 2018. It diverts the River Neelum through a system of tunnels out-falling into the River Jhelum. A technical…

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Early results spring big surprises

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Election-Commission

• PTI claims it can form govt in centre, two provinces• Barring Karachi, PPP seems set to retain its hold in Sindh• PML-N doing better in central Punjab, some other areas ISLAMABAD: Despite an underlying ‘distrust’ in the electoral exercise, millions queued up to vote in Thursday’s long-overdue elections. However, voters’ hopes of seeing some results were left unfulfilled till late in the night, with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) only able to announce three results by 4am on Friday morning. According to the ECP, Fazal Hakim Khan was…

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