ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that the sugar industry will be provided every facility to generate electricity from the indigenous resources to meet the power requirements in the country.

He made these remarks on Wednesday while talking to a delegation of Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) led by its chairman Shunaid Qureshi. Secretary and adviser of the Ministry, managing director Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and other senior officials were also present.

The PSA chairman informed the minister that 77 sugar mills were producing 12 metric tons of baggase and were capable of generating over 2,000MW from co-generation power plants. He said that initially the industry can generate 1,000MW within two years.The minister appreciated the role of PSMA in initiating co-generation power projects and said that the government would provide maximum incentives and resolve all the pending issues in this regard.

He said that the government was determined to use all options to produce electricity at affordable prices and the co-generation project by the sugar industry is a major step towards achieving this goal. He said that the co-generation will also promote power generation through environmental-friendly manner.

He was of the view that many countries around the world were using co-generation technology to produce electricity from bye product of the sugar industry.

The minister expressed the hope that the joint efforts both by the government and the industry would help the country to overcome the energy crisis. He also directed the PPIB to process the proposals submitted by the sugar industry for co-generation projects on a fast track basis.