KARACHI - Deputy Director of Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) Naeem Memon said here that another wind power project of 56MW has completed at Jhimpir.
He was briefing the media persons during a visit to the project at Jhimpir, some 120 kilometres north east of Karachi, on Saturday. Memon said that the Zorlu Pakistan Limited, a Turkish company, is carrying out the tests required for connecting the wind turbines with the national grid.
He pointed out that the project is expected to be inaugurated by the middle of this month.
He informed that Zorlu is the pioneer in bringing wind energy to Pakistan and had got installed its first six MW wind project in 2009.
He stated that the FFC Energy Limited’s 50MW wind power project had been inaugurated in December last. Naeem Memon further said that the Three Gorges First Wind Farm, a 50 MW project, has signed the Energy Purchase Agreement (EPA) and the Implementation Agreement (IA) with AEDB and that the project is ready to achieve financial close.
He said that the Foundation Wind Energy Limited I and II, each 50MW project, have started working at the site for the installation of wind turbines at their wind farms and that project is expected to be on line next year at Gharo. The AEDB expects that more than 400 MW of wind power would come into the system by the end of next year, it was further stated.
PM arrives: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf arrived here on Saturday evening. A CM House statement said that Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah received the Prime Minister on arrival at the Karachi Airport.
It said that Sindh Chief Secretary Raja Abbas, Commissioner Karachi, Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi, IG Police Sindh, Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari, and other officials were also present on the occasion.
MQM-PPP: The leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain has said that the old relations with Pakistan Peoples Party would continue in the larger interest of the country, particularly for promoting peace and stability in Sindh province.
This he stated while talking to Minister for Interior Rehman Malik, who called on him in London, a statement issued by MQM said here on Saturday. The current political situation in the country was discussed in detail in the meeting that lasted for over three and a half hour, it said.
Altaf Hussain said that his party believed in retaining relation-ships with all democratic forces in the country, including the PPP.
It was decided in the meeting that the core committees of the MQM and the PPP would restart dialogues on all discordant issues. It was also decided that both the parties would contest general elections individually but there could be a possibility for adjustments on certain seats.
Rehman Malik praised the role of Altaf Hussain for the continuation of democracy in the country and said that the PPP government could not possibly have completed its tenure of five years if Altaf Hussain had not extended his support.
He said that the democratic process would also not have continued for five years if it were not for the sacrifices and support of Altaf Hussain in every difficult time.
Overall national and international situation also came under discussion in the meeting besides the current political situation, it said.