CM inspects Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant, reviews progress
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LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited Haveli Bahadur Shah to review the pace of progress on installation of fourth gas-based energy project there, on Thursday.
On the occasion, he inspected different sections.
According to a handout, the Chief Minister was given briefing about second phase of Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant. He was told that this second gas-based energy project in Haveli Bahadur Shah will produce 1242.7 megawatt electricity. Government of Pakistan is setting up two energy power projects while as many power plants are being installed by the Punjab government.
Three energy projects are totally functional in Haveli Bahadur Shah and 3600 megawatt electricity is being included in the national grid. The fourth 1242.7 megawatt single cycle energy project which is being set up by the Punjab government will started functioning in coming December.
Talking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that 4800 megawatt energy projects have been speedily completed by maintaining transparency. He said that Rs. 160 billion have been saved in four gas-based power projects.
He maintained, "Promises made with the nation about elimination of energy crisis are being fulfilled and production of 1800 megawatt electricity from Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant is a proof of our commitment.
It was decided to install power plants with own resources to rid the people of energy crisis and the Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant are the best with regard to performance and production capacity. The use of latest gas turbine will help to reduce the operating cost and saving of money.
"He said that establishment of Haveli Bahadur Shah Plant in the minimal time is a record, adding that the production cost of Haveli Bahadur Shah Plant is also minimal with regard to such category of plants and the production capacity is the maximum.
He said that 800 megawatt electricity will be included in the national grid by this power plant till December 2018 and additional production of 1242 megawatt will be included in the national grid by November 2019. Had there been no sit-ins, the load-shedding would have been totally eliminated from the country, he added.
Talking to the media afterwards, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that PML-N government has worked day and night to overcome the energy crisis. He said 18,000 megawatt electricity was generated during the 66 years while 11,000 megawatt has been added into the system by the PML-N's five years tenure.
He said that PML-N government has set up projects at half the price as compared with gas-based projects installed in Zardari and Musharraf eras. He said during the previous tenures, the oach-one project of 375 megawatt capacity was erected at a cost of 902,000 dollars per megawatt by the private sector. He said that Guddu Power Plant of 720 megawatt capacity was set up with a cost of 840,000 dollars per megawatt.
The 209 megawatt hillmore gas power plant was set up with 824,000 dollars per megawatt cost in private sector. The PML-N government set up gas-based four projects at half the price, he said and added the federal government set up 1207 megawatt Haveli Bahadur Shah Project with 488,000 dollars per megawatt cost and 1200 megawatt Baloki gas power plant was set up with 469,000 dollars per megawatt cost. Similarly, he said, 1180 megawatt Bhikki gas power plant has been set up with 466,000 dollars per megawatt cost.
Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif said, the Punjab government is also establishing 1260 megawatt gas-based plant in Haveli Bahadur Shah. This project is being set up with a cost of 418,000 dollars per megawatt, he said and added this fourth project has broken all the records as the fourth project is cheaper than the three earlier projects. The same can also be got verified from some financial expert, he said.
Usually prices are increased every year and keeping this thing in view, this project should have been expensive than the previous ones, he added. If these are established at 50 percent less price then the credit goes to PML-N federal and provincial governments, concerned companies and engineers. These cheapest projects have been completed with speed, he said.
He said that saving of Rs. 160 billion in gas-based projects is a miracle in the history of the country. He said that 720 megawatt Guddu Power Plant was completed in five to six years while gas-based projects of the present government have been completed in two and a half years time while the fourth project is going to be completed in 14 months.
He said that Rs. 112 billion have been saved in 3600 megawatt gas power projects and these projects have been set up even less than the official tariff of NEPRA. The NEPRA tariff was 800,000 dollars per megawatt. He said that Rs. 160 billion have been saved in four gas-based projects.
He said that Neelam-Jhelum Project was completed in 19 years and five billion dollars were spent on it. Those who have wasted billions of dollars and looted the public money should have been sentenced, he added.
He said that NAB and other agencies should dig out corruption where it's done and the corrupt should be given punishments as well but praise of good work should also be done. "Where federal and Punjab governments have honestly saved billions of rupees, the teams of both the governments should also be appreciated and I am quite hopeful that Supreme Court shall definitely appreciate it."
He said that due to lack of water in rivers and dams, 1500 megawatt electricity has been less produced this year. He said that work is speedily being done on 1260 megawatt gas power plant. "Two turbines and generator have been acquired and I pay tributes to the engineers and workers working on this project speedily.
That is why I say that we can leave India economically behind. We are giving a befitting reply to India in the defense arena and if we move forward by following the traditions of hard work, honesty and commitment then India can also be left behind in the economic field." Pakistani leadership will also be seen in G-8 and G-20 meetings where Modi is found in waist coat, he added.
The Chief Minister said, "Imran Niazi said in an interview in 2012 that why we don't generate electricity as provinces are authorized power generation under the 18th amendment. Niazi again said in an interview in 2013 that he will produce electricity for KPK and whole of the country but he has produced minus six megawatt electricity during the last five years.
Earlier, government set up 80 megawatt project in KPK which became dysfunctional in 2016 but the PTI government set up 74 megawatt project instead of rectifying it. That is why, I say that they have produced minus six megawatt electricity."
On the other side, the Chief Minister said, Zardari government in Sindh has installed electricity project in Nooriabad which is producing only 15 megawatt electricity.
He said that PML-N government established 5,000 megawatt electricity generation projects with its own resources while thousands of megawatts electricity projects are also set up under the CPEC. The people should decide themselves by reviewing the performance of PML-N, PTI and PPP governments, he added.
"To err is to human and we are also human beings but we have tried our level best to serve the masses and we have been successful in it," he said and added that today, electricity is ample and 800 megawatt additional electricity will be produced by second project of Haveli Bahadur Shah in December to fulfill the energy needs of the future.
Replying to questions of the media, the Chief Minister said that people are getting cheap electricity due to gas-based projects, adding that the people will get electricity at the rate of Rs. 7.5 per unit. He said it was a dream which has been fulfilled. The people will get cheap electricity when the outdated projects of the past established on the basis of corruption will be closed down, he added.
To a question, he said, "We have to work day and night to make the country great." He said that country's largest gas-based Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant will start generating 800 megawatt electricity from December this year. He said, " Rs. 160 billion have been saved in four gas-based projects and I challenge NAB to get this saving analyzed from some financial expert."
MPAs including Khalid Sargana, Khuram Sial, Ameer Sial, Chairman District Council Babar Khan Sial, Sh. Waqas Akram, Chairman PTPL Abdul Basit and others were present on the occasion. APP/AFP
