Murad inaugurates coal-fired power plant

The Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday inaugurated 330 megawatt (MW) coal fuelled power plant in Islamkot, Tharparkar, enhancing the district's coal powered electricity generation capacity to 990 MW.

The $520 million project is a joint venture of Hub Power Company Ltd (Hubco), Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd (FFC) and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) and part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The construction started in May 2018 from the sponsors' equity without waiting for the financial close which was achieved in January, 2020. The plant on Wednesday began to supply 40 MW to the national grid while it will attain its maximum production capacity by the end of this month.

"Producing energy from Tharparkar's coal isn't only our great success but it is also the realisation of Mohterma Benazir Bhutto's dream of harnessing the indigenous source of energy to generate electricity," the CM said.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that with the launching of 330MW HUBCO power plant we have successfully added 990MW coal-fired power in the national grid which is not only our great success but it is the realisation of Mohterma Benazir Bhutto's dream of producing coal-fired energy to empower Pakistan with the cheapest and indigenous source of energy.

This he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of 330MW coal-fired power project of HUBCO and its partners at Thar Coal Block-II.

The ceremony was attended by Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh, and the partners in the project including SECMC, EPTL, TEL, TNPTL, CEMC, and HBL.

Shah congratulated HUBCO, its partners and also the project team for completion of the project despite challenges.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2022.