Pakistan-Windmill
The electricity-hungry Pakistan will set up its first windmill next month with the help of a Turkish company, the country's Minister for Water and Power said Thursday.

Raja Parvez Ashraf said that an entire cluster of windmills with an aggregate capacity of 50 MW of electricity is to be set up as part of the program to develop alternate energy resources.

Pakistan faces power shortage between 3000 to 4500 MW daily, the minister said and hoped that situation would improve with improvement in availability of water at the country's two hydro-electric dams.

Raja Parvez Ashraf said both short and long term measures are in hand to overcome the power crisis.

He said the Government had invited bids for 1500 MW of electricity including 500 MW from rental power stations.

Investors have shown keen interest and the Government has received offers worth four billion dollars for 3800 MW of electricity including 500 MW through rental stations.

Pakistan's observe hours of power load-shedding including five-hour in capital Islamabad and the Minister said duration of load-shedding has been reduced during night and expressed the confidence that the power crisis would be over by the close of next year.

The Water and Power Minister said an international conference on Pakistan's coal project is to be held in Washington on Monday and Tuesday next.

It is being organized in collaboration with the World Bank to coincide with the Prime Minister's visit to the United States.