"A 10-year hydropower action plan had been prepared under which 24 different power generation projects would be carried out to generate 2100 megawatts electricity, said Ejaz Zafar Iqbal, Secretary Energy and Power Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while giving a presentation regarding achievements of provincial government in the sector during four and half years.
On the occasion, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Senior Minister, Rahimdad Khan, Additional Secretary Energy and Power KP, Syed Zainullah, Provincial Information Secretary, Azmat Haneef Orakzai and other officials of relevant department were present.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa coalition government has decided to apprise masses about different initiatives it had undertaken during its tenure. In this connection, ministers and secretaries of all departments would come one by one before the media and give information about the government's achievements.
The Secretary Energy and power informed that the department with efforts of provincial government had obtained three mega hydel generation projects from Federal government and private sponsors. A total capacity of power generation of 24 hydel generation projects is 2004 megawatts, which would be completed at cost of Rs 334.497 billion, he added.
Of the total projects, he informed the Matilan HPP, Swat of capacity of 84 megawatts, Lawi HHP, Chitral with capacity of 69 megawatts, and Daral Khwar, Swat of total capacity 36 megawatts has so far executed. A total power installation capacity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is about 20514 megawatts against the actual generation capacity of 13857 megawatts, he said.
While he said the two feasibility studies had also completed, including Shusghai in district Chitral with power generating capacity of 144 megawatts, while Shogosin with capacity 132 megawatts. The both projects, he said, would nominal cost at Rs 6.06 million against the total cost of Rs 301.369 million.
A total of three projects would be completed under short term hydel development programme to generate 56.20 megawatts electricity with completion period of three years. Under the medium-term plan, eight projects would be initiated of total capacity of 625 megawatts, while around 13 projects would be executed of total capacity of 1322 megawatts under the long-term hydro power generation strategy.
On head of royalty from hydro carbon sector, he said the province is received total revenue of Rs 22157.543 million. Of which, he said Rs 11747.050 million on head of crud oil, Rs 4242.290 million on natural Gas, excise duty on gas Rs 2468.620 million, while Rs 3700.583 million on head of gas development surcharge.
The revenue had been doubled due to increasing production of natural gas and oil during last four and half years, he claimed. While the provincial government will fetch Rs 145 million per annually by water usage charges on equal basis from private sector along with power house situated in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Regarding the hydro carbon production and reserves in KP, he said that a total of oil production is about 7,806,263 BBL, while gas production is around 124, 853 million metric cubic feet. The total estimated reserves of oil are about one billion barrels, while gas reserves touched at four trillion cubic feet.
The KP government will own assets of such private hydro-power projects after abolishment of concession period, while the department has successful put off bar on 50 megawatts on private sector for development of hydro projects in the province, the secretary energy and power informed.
The secretary said the government took an initiative for establishment of oil and gas company and oil refinery for exploration of natural resources in the province. He said that the oil company would be functionalized without a year, while the refinery would take two and half years to become operational in the province.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, he said, is being carried out two projects in PPP mode in collaboration with Wapda and private sector with equal distribution of 24 percent, which was including Lower Palas Kohistan with capacity of 665 megawatts, and Lower Spat Gah Kohistan 496 megawatts. He informed that provincial government was also working on renewable energy programme for which carrying out a feasibility study for determining solar and wind potential along with establishment of power plant. While speaking on the occasion, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information, Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that the government had started work for development of hydro power while keeping in view the growing energy need in the province.