GE announced Monday that it would be providing 33 wind turbines to the Sapphire Wind Power farm in the southeastern Pakistani province of Sindh, located just outside the provincial capital of Karachi.
The move marks GE’s first wind order in the country, and takes Pakistan another step towards its own (meagre) renewable energy goals.
Pakistan is not a name that often appears in the renewable energy news hedalines, but the country is not without its own clean energy industry. With the Jhimpir Wind Power Plant also located in Sindh, and the proposed 1,000 MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (currently working towards its first 100 MW, with full deployment expected by 2016), Pakistan is taking steps — albeit small ones. Although, it needs to not necessarily take big steps, considering the country’s renewable energy target is 5% of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030.
Nevertheless, everyone has to start somewhere, and the economics of the region may demand a smaller opening target than the financial behemoths of North America or Europe.
GE will supply the Sapphire Wind Power farm with 33 of its GE 1.5-82.5 wind turbines, and has also signed a 10-year operations and maintenance services agreement as part of the contract.
“We chose GE wind turbines because they are a well-proven technology and widely installed around the world, especially in tropical climates like that of Pakistan,” said Nadeem Abdullah, owner of the Sapphire Wind Power farm. “GE has been instrumental in supporting Sapphire to achieve financial closure with OPIC.”
“GE is excited to help our customers in Pakistan work towards its goals for renewable energy growth in the country,” said Anne McEntee, president and CEO of GE’s renewable energy business. “Pakistan has huge potential for wind energy, and is a great example of a country where wind can be competitive with other generation technologies.”
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