Govt estimates IPP talks could save Rs856bn over next decade

ISLAMABAD: The government is claiming to have saved about Rs856 billion over a period of 10 years on account of renegotiation with independent power producers (IPPs) and change in terms of contracts and closure of public sector power projects. This was the crux of a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) presided over by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar. The CCOE constituted a committee led by Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan to effectuate revisions in various terms and conditions into formal agreements. The CCoE “reviewed…

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Consortium to invest hugely in two mega projects, PM told

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan was informed on Thursday that some leading businessmen of the country have formed a consortium to make a huge investment in two mega development projects — Urban Development and Bundle Island Project (UDBSP) in Karachi and Ravi River Front Urban Development Project (RRFUDP). In a separate meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Housing, Construction and Development, the prime minister was apprised that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has fetched Rs55 billion in two recent auctions of commercial and residential plots. In another meeting…

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Body formed to formalise new pacts with IPPs

ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday set up an implementation committee to convert legally non-binding understandings with 47 independent power producers into legal agreements to secure an estimated amount of Rs836 billion in savings over the next 28 years. After a formal revision in power purchase agreements, the federal government would save an average of Rs30 billion a year during this period. The decision to form the implementation committee was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE), chaired by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar. The Power Division…

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Myanmar’s 1 GW solar tender concludes with lowest bid of $0.0348/kWh

The country’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy allocated all tendered solar capacity in its first procurement exercise for large-scale PV. Final prices ranged from $0.0348 to $0.051 per kWh. China Machinery Engineering and Sungrow were the main winners, securing eight and nine projects, respectively. Myanmar’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) has concluded a 1 GW PV tender it launched in May by allocating all of the procured capacity. Final prices ranged from $0.0348/kWh to $0.051/kWh, according to a list of winning bidders, published by China Dialogue, a nonprofit organization. The biggest winners…

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Time to go back to import substitution

Globalization has lost its shine for the rich countries which in the first place had been its promoters as they went around the world looking for cheap labour in the 1980s. East Asia and then in a big way China became their sweatshops. The result was, not only millions were lifted out of poverty in these regions, but the transfer of manufacturing to these regions had brought them stunning economic advancement bringing in the process China almost at par economically with these rich countries. Now China is seriously challenging the…

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