LAHORE: Federal Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir has said 100MW Zhenfa solar project reflects the government’s resolve to provide cheap and environment-friendly electricity to the people.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony at Chobara, Layyah district, the minister said the 100MW project would produce electricity at the rate of Rs9 per unit and also help save precious foreign exchange being spent on imported fuel.

He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, a policy has been evolved and adopted to generate electricity from cheaper sources, under which thousands of megawatts would be generated from solar power in different areas.

He said all power plants to be installed in the country have been planned on local to save foreign exchange, reducing consumption of imported furnace oil and coal.

A 110MW wind power project has started working at Jhampir and work on 880MW Sukhi Kinari hydropower project in Kaghan area is also going on, he added.

Mr Dastgir said the government was working fast on eco-friendly and affordable power generation projects that would yield far-reaching results.

He said the 1,320MW Shanghai Electric Power Project, to be run on Thar coal, would start generation next month to provide cheaper electricity.

The federal minister said that in order to check high power rates, the government was trying to find cheaper resources that can generate electricity at a rate of Rs7 to Rs8 per unit to reduce the burden on common man.

In order to speed up development journey, local coal, water, wind and solar power generation projects are being promoted, he added.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2022