Karachi– Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired a crucial meeting between Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company (STDC) and the private partner Gul Ahmed Group. Gul Ahmed is setting up a 100 MW power plant in Jhimpir.
STDC will lay a 60-kilometer transmission line from Jhimpir to the Landhi Industrial Area. Provincial Energy Minister Nasir Shah emphasized the significance of this public-private partnership, stating, “This will revolutionize industrial development by delivering electricity from Jhimpir to the industrial area.”
The Chief Minister reflected on the formation of STDC, noting that it was established out of necessity. “No one was willing to lay a transmission line from Nooriabad to Karachi, so the Sindh government created STDC, and we successfully delivered 100 MW of electricity to Karachi,” he stated. “STDC has now become an important institution.”
Energy Secretary Musadiq Khan highlighted STDC as a prime example of efficient governance, mentioning that laying transmission lines through STDC is more cost-effective than other methods. STDC’s CEO, Saleem Sheikh, briefed the meeting on the transmission line project, describing it as a pivotal development.
STDC, Pakistan’s first provincial grid company, successfully completed the 132kV transmission line from Sindh Nooriabad Power Company (SNPC) to K-Electric’s KDA Grid. This 95-kilometer-long line delivers 100 MW of electricity to K-Electric, with the project’s COD being January 2018. Recently, on June 13, 2024, STDC and GO Energy signed an MOU for Pakistan’s first 500 MW solar energy project with the support of the Alternative Energy Department (GoS) and the Irrigation Department.
STDC will lay a 220kV transmission line from the Kheenjar Lake Power Project to K-Electric’s Dhabeji Grid Station in Karachi. K-Electric will receive 500 MW of electricity from the solar power project, expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The Gul Ahmed Group will cooperate with STDC in constructing a 132kV transmission line from Jhimpir Wind Corridor to the Landhi Industrial Area, utilizing 524 and 558 acres allocated by the GoS in the Jhimpir Wind Corridor.
The STDC will lay a 60-kilometer-long transmission line to transmit 100 MW of wind power from the Jhimpir power plant to the Landhi area. This B2B project is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
Both projects are environmentally friendly and aim to promote green energy and affordable electricity sources in Sindh. These initiatives will boost employment opportunities and the provincial economy. The Sindh government is committed to rapidly utilizing these renewable resources, reducing the overall tariff by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), and providing cheaper electricity to the people of Pakistan. In addition to tariff reduction, renewable energy will play a crucial role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by fostering a clean, reliable, and sustainable environment.
During the ceremony, an MOU was signed between Gul Ahmed and STDC, with Saleem Sheikh from STDC and Zain Bashir and Ziad Bashir from Gul Ahmed signing the agreement.
