By Fawad Yousafzai
The consumers have paid Rs1.93 trillion capacity payments to IPPs (international power producers) during the previous fiscal year, including Rs46 billion to two producers with zero power generation, and Rs370 billion to three plants for generating power at 15 percent load factors.
The government has also procured electricity from ROUSCH power plant at Rs 745.05 per unit and at Rs 349.92 per unit from China Hub during 2023-24, revealed by data sheet pertaining payments to IPPs during the FY 2023-24 released by former Federal Minister Gohar Ejaz in a tweet here.
While sharing the data of the payments made to 101 IPPs, including government and privately owned, and its ownership, he said that Rs1.93 trillion were paid to IPPs as a capacity payments during the previous fiscal. He said that 52 percent of power plants are owned by the government and 28 per percent are owned by Pakistan’s private sector, 40 families/groups, so 80 percent are owned by Pakistanis. Electricity being sold to us at Rs60 per unit is only because of these corrupt contracts, mismanagement and incompetence, he claimed. The government is buying because of these IPP agreements, the highest electricity units at Rs750 per unit from a power plant, while it is buying at an average of Rs200 per unit from coal power plants.
He said that above Rs 50 per unit were paid for electricity from wind and solar plants. Capacity payment made to IPPs is Rs1.95 trillion and balance Rs160 billion is under verification. Government is making capacity payments of Rs140 billion to one plant at a 15 percent load factor, Rs 120 billion to another plant at a 17 percent load factor, and Rs 100 billion to a third plant at a 22 percent load factor. This totals to Rs 370 billion to just three plants running at 15 percent load factor during the year.
Of the capacity payment of 1.923 trillion capacity payments Rs 465.704 billion was paid to six nuclear plants, while the remaining was paid to power plants owned by government of Pakistan, Government of Punjab, and remaining owned by Pakistani and foreign investors.
The data shared with media claimed that two power plants including Hubco and KAPCO have been paid Rs 46 billion during the FY 2023-24, without generating single unit of electricity. Similarly, 41 plants operated from 4 per cent to 25 per cent capacity during the year.
According to the data, Rousch (Pakistan) Power Project owned by Dawood group, Hub Power Project, (HUBCO) owned by Engro Habibullah group, Kot Addu Power Project (KAPCO) owned by Pakistan Wapda, KAPCO Employees Empowermenttricity, Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Project, Balloki Power Project by GOP, Bhikki Power Project and PTPL Power Project by Government of Punjab, Karot Hydropower Project by China Three Gorges Corporation, Sahiwal Power Project by Huaneng Shandong Ruyi (Pakistan) Energy (Private) Limited, 1320 MW Shanghai Thar Coal Project by Shanghai Electric Power Company Limited / CCTEG and SSRL, Port Qasim Power Project by Port Qasim Energy Dubai, Shahzad Shahbaz, China Power / Hubco Power Project by China Power International, Habibullah group, Engro Thar Coal Power Project by Hussain Dawood group, Patrind Hydropower Project by KDS Hydro PTE Ltd.
Coal based 330MW ThalNova Thar Coal Power Project by HUBCO, Habibullah group, 1292 MW Hub Power Project, (HUBCO) by ENGRO/Habibullah group, 220 MWHUBCO-Narowal Project, 330MW Hubco Thar Coal Power Project owned by Habibullah group, 84MW New Bong Escape Hydropower Project by Habibullah Group. Engro Power Project 227MW, 660MW Engro Thar Coal Power Project,49.5 MW wind based Tenaga Generasi Limited owned by Hussain Dawood group.
Three wind based with the capacity of 49.735 MW each and 52.8 MW Sapphire Wind Power Company Limited are owned by Sapphire Group.
RFO based 362 MW Lalpir Power Project, 365 MW Pak Gen Power Project, 200 MW Nishat Power Project, 200MW Nishat Chunian Power Project are owned by Mansha Group, 229MW Orient Power Project by Nadeem Babar/ Mehmood Group, 134 MW RFO based Saba Power Project by Nadeem Babar, 229 MW Saif Power Project are owned by Saifullah Group, two 52.70 MW bagasse power plants, 12 MW solar based AJ Power (Pvt.) Limited are owned by Jehangir Tareen Group, 62.4MW bagasse based Chiniot Power Ltd by owned by Suleman Shahbaz Sharif group.
Gohar Ejaz further said “The solution is “No Capacity Payment”, only payments for electricity purchases from the cheapest electricity suppliers. All IPPs should be treated as merchant plants like any other business.” “Please, all must rise against these agreements with 40 families to save your country,” he added.
(Fact sheet released by ex-minister Gohar Ejaz reveals consumers paid Rs1.93tr capacity payments to IPPs last fiscal year including Rs46b to two IPPs with zero power generation and Rs370b to three plants for generating power at 15pc load factors n Due to these huge payments, govt is buying electricity at Rs750 per unit from a power plant, Rs200 per unit from coal power plant. Gohar says power being sold to consumers at Rs60 per unit is only because of these corrupt contracts, mismanagement and incompetence.)Coutesy The Nation
