KARACHI: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Tuesday has issued determination in the matter of approval of tariff for Atlas Powergen Limited for its 220 MW Combined Cycle regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) based Power Plant at Sheikhupura. Atlas Powergen was selected through the recently concluded international competitive bidding (ICB) process for 220MW RLNG based power project held by the government. NEPRA has issued tariff determination for the power plant. ‘The Decision is being intimated to the federal government for the purpose of notification in the official gazette pursuant to Section 31(4) of the Regulation of Generation’, NEPRA added. In a bid to alleviate power shortages in the country, the government decided to induct new medium-sized (100MW – 250MW) power plants with RLNG as fuel which have a cumulative capacity of 1000 MW through private sector investment, based on ICB. The Authority has approved the combined cycle generation tariff along with adjustment and indexations for the 220 MW (net capacity) RLNG based power plant to be established by Atlas Powergen Limited at Sheikhupura for delivery of electricity to Central Power Purchasing Agency (Guarantee) Limited: The underlying combined cycle efficiencies are 52.05% and 49.31% on RLNG and IISD, respectively and Open Cycle efficiency is 33.10% on RLNG. Net Capacity of Complex at RLNG will be 220 MW and on IND will be 200 MW at reference site conditions (as per Performa X111 of technical bid duly approved).The discount rate used for calculation of Levelised Tariff is 10%.The tariff control period will be 30 years from the date of commercial operation (COD). NEPRA approved capacity charge Rs 2.58/kW/hour for the first ten years. From the eleventh year to the thirtieth year the upfront tariff would be Rs 1.05/kW/hour. Similarly, the energy charge LNG for the first ten years will be Rs 8.19 kW/hour and for the remaining period it would stay same. Energy charge HSD would be Rs 14.52/kW/hour for the thirty years. Atlas Powergen project is expected to deliver 150MW of electricity from open cycle operations by April 2017 and 220MW by early 2018. The initial financing arrangements have been put in place while the work at the site has already started.