K-Electric will start receiving 100 megawatt of electricity from the Sindh government owned Nooriabad power plant by the end of this month. This move has been taken in consideration of the holy month of Ramazan and to provide citizens of Karachi with some respite from power cuts.
Power production from the Nooriabad power plant is undergoing a trial run and production has been successful from one of its twin 50 MW unit. According to Chief Minister’s Media Consultant A. Rasheed Channa, the second unit of 50 MW will be undergoing a trial run from Saturday or day after tomorrow. Once the trial run is successful, that will pave way for the inclusion of this generation into the K-Electric system.
This project was established at a cost of Rs13b by the Sindh provincial government and a 95km long transmission line was laid from Nooriabad to Karachi at a cost of Rs2b. This power project will generate electricity at a cost of Rs9 per unit and will be sold to K-Electric at Rs 15.5 per unit. The current power shortfall in K-Electric’s system stands at 300-400 MW and the addition of 100MW from Nooriabad power plant will help in easing the woes of citizens suffering from prolonged loadshedding.
Previously there had been a dispute between Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and the provincial government in regards to the supply of gas to Nooriabad power plant. The dispute was resolved after the signing of a sale and purchase agreement between the provincial government and SSGC upon which the former made a payment of Rs1b to ensure the supply of gas to the Nooriabad power plant.
