June 26, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 10, 1428

LAHORE, June 25: The captive power producers (CPPs) have urged the government to allow them to sell their excess electricity to private, individual industrial consumers.

The government has already allowed Wapda to purchase power from the CPPs in order to overcome the ongoing energy shortage in the country and National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has placed advertisements inviting applications for the purchase of electricity from the private sector.

Subsequent to the Nepra advertisements, the distribution companies (Discos) have started receiving applications for the purchase of furnace oil and gas-based electricity.

Many private electricity producers, as reported by the captive power producers, have applied to Nepra. They claim that Wapda has approved a rate of Rs4.15 per KWh for the gas-based units.

However, the private electricity producers have urged the government that until the proper agreements are made and signed with Wapda/Discos they may be allowed to sell power to the adjacent private industrial units.

“The Industry feels that such an action can bring immediate relief to the Discos, which are still short of power at the moment,” said a captive power producer.

He said the government’s initiative of purchasing excess power from the private units will help overcome the power shortage in country. “The industry also feels that this decision should have been taken long before and that the permission to sell electricity to the adjacent units shall reduce the burden on the national power grid,” he added.