The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) organised a public hearing to resolve some of the issues that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and coal suppliers have with the current authorised criteria for purchasing Afghan and non-Afghan coal on a spot basis.

The hearing's goal was to get input from relevant parties on how to improve the current spot purchase guidelines and encourage greater competition. The authority took note of the worries and recommendations of the interested parties and will accordingly change the rules to ensure that the coal-fired power plants may start buying from the aforementioned sources as soon as possible and produce cheaper power.

NEPRA Chairman Tauseef H. Farooqi and NEPRA members Mathar Niaz Rana and Maqsood Anwar Khan presided over the hearing. The Ministry of Energy, the Central Power Purchasing Agency, the Private Power Infrastructure Board, the Thar Coal Energy Board, Independent Power Producers, coal experts, journalists, members of the general public, coal importers and suppliers, etc. were among the many stakeholders represented at the hearing.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk