Fossilised carbon: ‘Thar will be a game-changer’

KARACHI: Exploitation of Thar coal fields can prove to be a game-changer for the Pakistani economy as its utilisation can provide low-cost electricity to the local industry and make it highly competitive in world markets like the Chinese industry, said Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) Thar Project Managing Director Dr Muhammad Shabbir while talking to media at the Karachi Press Club on Friday. Thar coal’s energy equivalent value is more than the energy equivalent value of combined fuel reserves of both Saudi Arabia and Iran. He said there are two projects in Pakistan that could change the socioeconomic status of the country within a small span of time namely Thar coal of Sindh and Reko Diq copper reserves in Balochistan. He added that load shedding is the main cause of poverty and joblessness in Pakistan and as per an Asian Development Bank study Pakistani economy is braving an annual loss of Rs230 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2012.