Pakistan to Boost Wind Power Production

The Alternative Energy Development Board is willing to allow a project proposed by NBT AS, a Lysaker-based clean energy company that plans to build the facility in the Sindh province “wind corridor” north of Karachi, according to Said Arif Alauddin, chief executive of the government agency.

Pakistan has almost 1 gigawatt of wind turbines projects under construction or with financing agreed and 498.5 megawatts more of wind programs announced, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance data. Only 6 megawatts of wind energy facilities are operating in the nation. It’s the ninth-poorest in the Asia- Pacific region with a 2009 gross domestic product per capita of $2,609, according to Bloomberg data.

NBT Chief Executive Officer Joar Viken said he plans to tap financing for his project from one of three Chinese wind turbines makers that his company is talking with about supplying machinery for the facilities. Viken said NBT would issue a tender to Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Sinovel Wind Group Co. and China Energine International Holdings Ltd. (1185) to supply the wind turbines. Each of the companies have credit lines with the China Development Bank Corp., a state-owned lender.

www.aedb.org/wind.htm