Capacity payments, or the funds allocated to independent power producers (IPPs), have become a prominent topic in Pakistani media and society.
According to Hamir Mir, Pakistan’s senior news anchor, the government holds a 52 percent stake in these IPPs, while private investors own the remaining 48 percent.
The senior journalist revealed that Pakistan has a total of 100 IPPs, with 51 owned by private companies and groups. Among these, seven are owned by influential politicians, and 18 are held by international firms from China, Singapore, and Norway.
He stated that the Mian Mansha Group owns four IPPs and has received Rs4 billion in capacity payments. Furthermore, Abdul Razzaq Dawood’s Rousch (Pakistan) Power Limited (RPPL) owns a power plant in Pakistan that generated 4 percent of the power last year but was paid Rs6.88 billion in capacity charges.
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Nadeem Babar has partnership in an IPP with Orient Power Project owner Mahmood Group. The company produced 32 percent power and it was paid Rs.5.80 billion capacity charges.
Jahangir Khan Tareen owns two IPPs. JDW Sugar Mills Unit 2 received Rs1.9 billion in capacity charges, while JDW Unit 3 was paid Rs77 crore last year.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son, Salman Shehbaz, owns Chiniot Power Limited, an IPP that produced 33 percent of its power last year. The company received Rs1.55 billion in capacity charges.
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