The Asian Development Bank on Friday submitted the third party evaluation report on rental power projects to the Ministry of Finance. Informed sources told Business Recorder that the ADB has submitted the report as promised. However, the Minister and the Secretary Finance could not be reached for comments.

Sources said the Finance Minister was to present the report to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday, but the Premier was not in Islamabad and therefore, the minister is expected to present the report to him today (Saturday). The ADB had already extended support for setting up eight RPPs with a combined generating capacity of 1168 MW and work on all of them is under way.

Techno power RPP at Faisalabad has already begun generating 150 MW. Golf RPP is expected to begin generating 62 MW by February 10, 2010. Reshma RPP will commence generating 200 MW by the end of February 2010. The ADB itself will release the report to the relevant ministries by the end of the current week. The contract for the RPPs envisages 36 percent capacity utilisation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2010