ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: The secretary to the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), Brig Dr Nasim A. Khan, said large groups from as many as 12 countries had expressed interest in investing more than US$500 million for development of alternative energy sources in Pakistan.

Briefing the AEDB meeting held under the chairmanship of Air Marshal Shahid Hamid (retired), Brig Khan said various groups from countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom in Europe besides China, Russia, Iran, Australia, New Zealand and the United States were keen to come to Pakistan and invest in this field.

The AEDB Board meeting also approved the energising of as many as 200 houses in Alipur Farash situated in the outskirts of the federal capital with the help of solar energy.

Air Marshal (Retd) Shahid Hamid had been actively engaged in this particular project and was pursuing the Islamabad administration for some time to extend necessary help and assistance for successful implementation of this project in Alipur Farash, where most of the dwellers of katchi abadi close to Bari Imam were being shifted.

As the first experiment, Air Marshal Shahid Hamid (retired) had already provided power to a mosque in Alipur Farash some time back.

The AEDB meeting also agreed to forward the proposal to undertake the management of the National Institute of Silicon Technology (NIST)/Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) for a period of next five years.

The proposal has been submitted to the prime minister for necessary approval, sources in the AEDB said.

The meeting also agreed to recommend for approval of an ordinance which may enable the Board to work as autonomous body with an objective to achieve at least 10 per cent share in country’s total power generation by the year 2015.

The meeting also formally approved installation of 100MW wind farms at Pakistan Steels in three phases.

In the first phase, Brig Khan said, 30MW wind farm would be completed, which will be followed by another wind farm of similar capacity with the final phase accomplishing a 40MW wind farm.

The AEDB board meeting also decided to speed up the ground work on the approved solar energy projects in all the provinces.