Renewed Italian oil and gas base company Eni has built solar plant Bhit Photo voltaic Plant in Pakistan, through its subsidiary Eni New Energy Pakistan.
This is Eni’s first solar project in the country. This plant built near to the Bhit Gas Plant to support the upstream operations by providing green energy in an off-grid configuration.
According to officials the Bhit Photo voltaic Plant has a 10 MW peak capacity and is expected to produce approximately 20 GWh (Gigawatt hours) annually. The output energy will be used on site, reducing gas consumption and avoiding around 144,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions during plant life.
The photo voltaic plant works in full zeal with the existing power generation system of Bhit gas treatment plant, optimizing operational costs with the shutdown one of the existing gas turbines. Using all the synergies in place with its presence, Eni has achieved a short time-to market, with a start-up reached only 6 months after the Final Investment Decision (FID).
Bhit Photo voltaic Plant, while adding extra value to the traditional operations held in Pakistan, confirms Eni’s commitment towards a low-carbon scenario in which renewable energy plays a pivotal role and is fully integrated in the energy mix.
Minister for Energy Omar Ayub said that Pakistan had investment potential of $40 billion in the sector of alternative energy. Pakistan in future could produce 75 percent of electricity from its own indigenous sustainable resources without importing fuel like oil and gas.
Eni has been present in Pakistan since 2000 and operates in the upstream sector, where the main permits in the country are Bhit/Badhra (Eni operator with a 40% interest), Kadanwari (Eni operator with 18,42% interest), Latif (Eni 33,3%), Sawan (Eni 23.68%), Zamzama (Eni 17.75%) and Miano (Eni 15,16%).
Eni is the Operator of three offshore blocks and is also active in the Midstream sector.