PATTOKI: Federal Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has said that 2,500 MW from Independent Power Plants (IPPs) and Rental Power Plants (RPPs) would be added to the national grid within the next three month.

Talking to media at the inauguration ceremony of the 200MW Nishat Power Plant worth $234 million at Jambar area, he said the government was taking effective steps to end the power crises.

Raja Pervaiz said that Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) and Planning Commission were jointly working on a pilot project of 50MW coal power in Sindh, which would be completed within eight months.

To another question, he said that during the recent visit of a US delegation from the energy sector, the Government of Pakistan had accepted their offer for replacing engines at power plants, and improving their efficiency. The US companies would rehabilitate five power plants of the public sector in Pakistan, he added.

‘Though we have limited resources, we are moving ahead,’ he said, adding that long and short term projects are under way to increase power generation and Nishat Power Plant was the clear manifestation of this fact.

The minister said that construction of Diamir-Bhasha Dam would be initiated next year, while Neelum-Jehlum project was being executed at a fast pace.—APP