ISLAMABAD: The government has reportedly included two solar projects of 2800 MW in the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2025-35, to be offered to Saudi Company M/s ACWA Power, sources close to Managing Director PPIB Newzshewz.
Sharing the details, sources said, National Grid Company of Pakistan Limited (NGC), in a letter titled ” land acquisition for solar power projects at Layyah, Jhang and Muzaffargarh has updated the PPIB on inclusion of solar projects in the IGCEP.
Shah Jahan Mirza, the Chief of PPIB, has intimated the Power Division that the finalization of the IGCEP is currently underway. In the draft IGCEP, the System Operator (ISMO) has included several sensitivity analyses, two of which relate to the development of utility-scale solar PV projects with proposed capacities of 1,000 MW and 1,800 MW respectively by ACWA Power.
He, however, is of the view that subject to NEPRA’s approval of these scenarios, the projects may be offered to the Saudi side for development by ACWA under the Government -to-Government (G2G) framework.
He has proposed Power Division that it would be prudent not to de-notify the land identified for the development of the said solar PV projects at this stage and a decision in the matter may be deferred until approval of the IGCEP.
In November 2023, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the KSA had informed that the Saudi Company had refused to sign any pact with Islamabad to establish solar project due to security concerns.
However, the Company’s representatives visited Pakistan in a delegation of dozens of Saudi investors and held discussed with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). Since, then Pakistan Embassy was in contact with the firm.
According to sources, Saudi government has conveyed to Islamabad that Saudi investors are shy to invest in Pakistan due to the treatment with M/s Al-Jomaih in case of K-Electric. The issue of Al-Jomaih is now being dealt by the Deputy Prime Minister, Senator Ishaq Dar.
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