330MW from Thar coal added to national grid

HYDERABAD:

Hub Power Company Limited (HUBCO)’s 330-megawatt (MW) power plant, fired by Tharparkar’s coal, formally started supplying electricity to the national grid on Friday in Islamkot. Inaugurated by the Minister of State, Mahesh Malani, this fresh addition of 330MW will take Thar’s coal contribution to power generation up to 3,000MW.

Due to bad weather, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s flight was cancelled, leaving him unable to inaugurate the power plant. The Chief Executive Officers of Hubco Group and ThalNova, Kamran Kamal and Saleemullah Memon briefed the minister about the project.

The project is part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and is a joint venture among Hubco, Thal Engineering, Novatex Limited and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) which is also the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contractor. The construction of the plant began in March, 2019, but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

ThalNova will utilise the indigenous coal being mined by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company in Thar Coal Block II. The cost of power generation from Tharparkar’s coal stands at Rs9 per KW/hr. In comparison, the electricity produced from imported coal costs at least Rs20 per KW/HR.