Managing Director Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) Tahir Basharat Cheema said Wednesday (September 29, 2010) Small Independent Power Producers (SIPPs) would give big boost to power sector and urged the textile industry to invest in below 50MW power projects to overcome energy crisis.
He was addressing All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) members at the APTMA Punjab office. He was accompanied by DG Pepco Muhammad Khalid and GM C&M Pepco Shahid Hussain, CFO Pepco Razi Abbas and DG Media & Public Relations Shafqat Jalil.
Gohar Ejaz, newly-elected Chairman APTMA, appreciated the initiative and said the textile industry was keen to invest in energy generation ventures to save it from a total collapse.
MD Pepco said the SIPPs focus on investors' signing of contracts with Discos and permission to utilize all types of fuels. "We have potential to generate 1000MW through SIPPs in nest three years, he added.
MD Pepco also hinted at Pepco's readiness on energy swap arrangement on excess energy generated by Captive Power Producers in textile industry provided the wheeling cost is doable.
On special tariff for textile industry, MD Pepco said Pepco has always supported textile industry on this front.
Regarding disbanding Pepco, he said no such decision was under consideration and instead Pepco is likely to play the role of an over arching body to monitor phase-wise autonomy process to the Discos with additional obligations.
He termed textile industry as the only national industry with 300,000 small and medium units contributing to the national economy. He said Pepco has been supportive to the textile industry from day one.
He said Pepco got separate status in 2007 and reform process started in the power sector. He said objective of these reforms is to correct the mismatch between cost of business and cost of service.
He urged the APTMA to move together with Pepco in tandem as an important partner in overcoming energy deficiency. Chairman APTMA appreciated the efforts of MD Pepco in reviving 60 Pepco-fed spinning units. He said APTMA fully supports the reform process in energy sector and would contribute to it as a partner. He also said the textile industry expansion was underway, requiring priority in energy supply.
Earlier, it was urged in a separate presentation to the MD Pepco that load shedding exemption to textile industry be on permanent basis and separate energy tariff be implemented at the earliest.
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA)
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