Pakistan Based Biogas Company Secure Support of the IFC

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is advising a Pakistan-based biogas company on the development of a waste-to-energy plant in the Karachi area, turning a serious environmental problem in to a renewable energy resource.

The plant, to be built by Karachi Organic Energy, will convert cow manure into electricity while producing organic fertilizer as a byproduct. IFC will provide KOEL—a joint venture between Karachi Electric Supply and the Amman Foundation—with advice on project development and financing. When completed, it will generate up to 22 MW of power from animal waste that is currently being discharged directly in to the sea.

“There is tremendous potential in this bio-gas project,” said Tabish Gauhar, CEO of Karachi Electric Supply. “Its footprint extends beyond power generation. It will have a positive effect on the community and, importantly, on the environment.”The plant will be the largest biogas project in the country and it is expected to serve as a model for future developments.

“Pollution in Pakistan creates environmental and health problems,” said Mouayed Makhlouf, IFC director for the Middle East and North Africa. “This plant will not only help address those issues but it will also contribute electricity to Pakistan’s power grid.”

The plant will be located in Landhi, a district of Karachi with a thriving dairy industry. The initiative is IFC’s first clean energy advisory services project in the Middle East and North Africa.