he Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) here on Thursday received global recognition for its community managed Hydropower Plants. According to PPAF announcement, here on Thursday, the award winning project is about 55 micro hydro plants completed in Northern Areas during the period 2004 to 2015 with funding from the World Bank, and the United States Department of Agriculture.
The prestigious Energy Institute (EI), UK has selected these PPAF projects in the EI Awards Community Initiative category for 2016. Besides clean energy the project is providing light and much needed economic opportunities through enterprise development for nearly 12,000 households. PPAF is at forefront to play lead role in increasing access to modern, affordable, reliable and sustainable energy resources.
PPAF began its renewable energy programme in 2003 and has completed over 3,900 projects of different types and sizes through grants and microcredit funded by the World Bank, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the German Development Bank (KfW).
These included development of mini hydroelectric plants, decentralised solar lighting and solar home systems, wind energy projects, solar-wind hybrid systems, solar water pumping projects and biogas plants.
PPAF with funding from KfW is currently implementing the Hydropower and Renewable Energy project. Under this project, PPAF through its partner organizations is implementing 5 Micro and Mini Hydro Power Projects ranging from 36kw to 306kw in Chitral, Buner, and Upper Dir districts of KP while the Solar Lighting System (SLS) component of the project covers 96 mini-grid systems with a cumulative capacity of 500kw in the Lakki Marwat, Karak and Swabi districts of KP. Qazi Azmat Isa, CEO of PPAF, said that the PPAF is committed to combating poverty and mitigating the effects of climate change on marginalized communities across Pakistan.