FEL seeks govt’s nod

ISLAMABAD: M/s Fatima Energy Limited (FEL) has sought government permission to sell its power on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) basis, official sources told Business Recorder.

FEL was issued generation licence by Nepra to sell power to BPCs. FEL 120 MW power plant is designed to use indigenous fuel bagasse which provides a saving of $ 30 million per annum in foreign currency.

This year sugar cane crushing season is foreseen to commence earlier in Nov 2020 and power plant has to start operations accordingly.

The firm in a letter to the Minister for Power, Omar Ayub has claimed that Prime Minister has encouraged P2P power sale and for establishing free and transparent power market in Pakistan. The regulatory framework for wheeling of power to BPCs including Nepra (Wheeling of Power) Regulations 2016, Grid Code and Distribution Code are available.

The Nepra Authority made its determination allowing FEL to wheel power to BPCs across multiple Discos and issued an order directing all relevant Discos and NTDC to comply with its determinations in letter and spirit. The Authority also noted in its order that FEL has given undertaking to abide by the decisions of the Authority with regard to any such amendments in wheeling regulations under review by Nepra .

FEL had submitted wheeling applications to IESCO, LESCO, PESCO, HESCO and PESCO pending since 2019 and Nepra Authority recently conducted a public hearing on revision of wheeling charges in view of petition by Discos for which decision is expected soon.

FEL, has requested that directions may be issued to relevant Discos and NTDC to process wheeling applications submitted by FEL pending since 2019, so that FEL generated power maybe supplied to BPCs.  

The power firm has reiterated that any amendments in NEPRA (Wheeling of Power) Regulations 2016 or Use of System Charges (USC) by Nepra is binding on all licencees and shall be implemented by FEL upon approval and implementation by Nepra.—MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN