No new power project on imported fuel in future: Khurram.

ISLAMABAD -- Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir on Wednesday said that the government laid a foundation to provide inexpensive electricity to the masses, adding that no new power project would be set up based on imported fuel in future.

Addressing a press conference here, the minister said that foundation was being laid for provision an inexpensive electricity in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the proposed solar energy project would be completed at earliest.

Solar projects having 1-4 MW capacity would be set in rural areas of the country while all government buildings would be switched to solar energy, he added.

The minister said both local and foreign investors had shown keen interest in investing in solar energy projects.

The investors were being briefed on 600 MW initial solar project and 11,000 MW electricity would be added to the national grid in the coming years, he added.

He said the government had decided to optimally utilize indigenous sources of energy instead of relying on expensive imported fuel for generation of electricity.

Shifting the entire electricity generation on indigenous sources would not only help lessen burden on national exchequer but would also provide electricity to the consumers at affordable rate, he said.

He said the solar energy would also help decrease environmental pollution, he added.

Khurram said coal and oil prices witnessed sharp increase of 300-400 per cent at the international market during the current year. The consumers could not afford such hike, he added.

He said now all new power projects would be set up on local resources including wind, solar, hydel, nuclear and Thar coal.

Currently, the government was working on a number of power projects which would add 2000 MW to the national grid by next year, he said.

He said prices of...