March, 23 2005	Wednesday	12 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, March 22: Pakistan plans to increase its power generation capacity by 143,000-mw in the next 25 years to 162,590-mw from the current 19,540-mw to sustain higher GDP (gross domestic product) growth rate at 7-8 per cent, sources said. The 25-year Energy Security Plan (ESP 2005-2030) approved recently by President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz envisaged increase in nuclear power generation by 8,400-mw to 8,800-mw by the year 2030 from current nuclear power of 400-mw, sources in the planning commission said.

The planning commission had told the president that unless power production capacity was increased by 143,000-mw in a phased manner over the next 25 years, it would not be possible for the country to sustain higher growth rates in the long run.

The ESP envisaged the share of nuclear power to increase to 4.2 per cent of country’s total energy mix from the current rate of 0.8 per cent. The current energy mix has highest 50 per cent share of gas, 30 per cent oil, 5.5 per cent coal, 12.7 per cent hydel, 0.8 per cent nuclear and zero per cent renewable energy.

In overall terms, the government plans to add a total of 143,053-mw electric power by 2030, thus, the total generation capacity would reach 162,590-mw. This addition would include 8,400-mw of nuclear power, 26,200-mw hydel-power, 19,750-mw coal based energy, 9,520-mw f renewable energy, 1,360-mw oil based and 77,820-mw gas based power production.

By the year 2010, the country would have an additional power of 7,880-mw and hence total capacity would reach 27,420-mw. This additional power would not include any new plant in the nuclear sector, but hydel generation would increase by 1,260-mw, coal based increase of 900-mw and renewable energy increase of 700-mw. A minor increase of 160-mw would take place in the oil-based generation while gas based power production would increase by 4,860-mw.

By the year 2015, the nuclear power production would increase by 900-mw, hydel-power by 7,570-mw, coal based power by 3,000-mw, renewable energy by 800-mw, oil based power by 300-mw and gas based power production by 7,550-mw. Total power production would increase by 20,120-mw during this period and total power generation capacity would reach 47,540-mw.

In the next five years (2015-2020), the nuclear energy would increase by 1,500-mw, hydel-power would go up by 4,700-mw, coal based energy by 4,200-mw, renewable energy by 1,470-mw, oil-based power by another 300-mw and gas based energy by 12,560-mw. In these five years, the power production would increase by 24,730-mw and total capacity would reach 72,270-mw.

In the subsequent five-year plan (2020-2025), the nuclear power production would rise by 2,000-mw, hydel power by 5,600-mw, coal based power to go up by 5,400-mw and renewable energy would increase by 2,700-mw. Similarly, the oil based power generation would increase by 300-mw and gas based energy by 22,490-mw. In this way, a total increase of 38,490-mw would take place between the year 2020 to 2025 and total power generation capacity would touch 110,760-mw.

In the next five years (2025-2030) the power production would increase by 51,830-mw and reach a total generation capacity of 162,590-mw. This would include an addition of 4,000-mw nuclear power, 7,070-mw hydel-power, coal based power 6,250mw, renewable energy 3,850-mw, oil based power 300-mw and gas based energy 30,360-mw.