Thar coal to power all coal fired power plants in the future: PM Ashraf

Prime Minister directs Ministry of Finance to provide sovereign guarantee to SECMC.


October 03, 2012
Thar coal to power all coal fired power plants in the future: PM Ashraf

ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday decided that in the future only Thar coal would be used for coal-based power generation and all conversions of existing and new power projects would be designed on Thar Coal specifications.

"Today we have laid the foundation of an energy policy, which is based on our indigenous resources and will lead to savings of huge foreign exchange presently being spent on the import of fossil fuels to run our thermal power plants," Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said.

The landmark policy decision was taken during a meeting of the Thar Coal and Energy Board at the Prime Minister's Secretariat here.

The meeting was informed that the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) and the Engro Corporation were working on an integrated coal mine and a power project at an estimated cost of $1.3 billion at Block 2 of the Thar Coal Project. The project aims at mining 6.5 million tonnes coal per annum to generate 1200 MW power at the attached power plant.

The Prime Minister also decided in principle to provide a sovereign guarantee to the SECMC, a joint venture of the Government of Sindh and the Engro Power and directed the Ministry of Finance to arrange the same. The decision for the sovereign guarantee was strange as Ashraf admitted himself that that the current financial situation allowed little space for providing sovereign guarantees, but justified it by pointed towards the growing energy requirements of the country.

The Government of Sindh had requested the Federal Government that the conversion of existing 800 MW and new 600 MW power plants at Jamshoro be designed on Thar Coal specifications.

The Prime Minister further directed the Ministry of Water and Power to sign within a week, a Coal Off-Take  agreement  between the GENCO andthe SECMC for the Asian Development Bank financed conversion of the existing 800 MW and new 600 MW  thermal power projects at Jamshoro.

"History will not excuse us if we do not take correct decision in time," the Prime Minister said.

Thar Coal Field are estimated to have reserves of 175 billion tonnes, 68 times higher than Pakistan's total gas reserves.

Those, who attended the meeting, included Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Finance  Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Shah, Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Advisor on Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Nadeemul Haq, MNA Rubina Saadat Qaim Khani, Provincial Minister for Revenue Jam Mehtab Dahar, Provincial Minister for Irrigation Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Federal secretaries Finance, Planning Division, and Water and Power, Chief Secretary Sindh, Member Science and Technology Planning Commission Dr Samar Mubarakmand, MDTCB, CEO Genco Holding, President Engro Corporation, CEO SECMC andother senior officials.

COMMENTS (12)

Naeem | 12 years ago | Reply

Problem is not quality of coal and what other options

The real issue is what are the forces stoping development work and investment in our country China planned for 12 billion dollar investment refinery in 2009 cancelled Ipl no progress in last 30 years Balouchistan resources Un touched

We need to realise who is damaging Pakistan.

This is the right time to review your foreign affairs policy Russia china or still ....... Potentially only gawdar port can develop billion of dollars revenue All caspian oil can flow through gawdar port which is another prospect which is a threat for artificially developed Dubai - let's see who leads Turk -afg-pak pipeline - I am surprised why engro invest 5 billion dollars on urea plant, based on gas for which whole country is struggling why not first coal and power generation ...........but Asian bank never approved sustainable projects for Pakistan.

AQILKHAN | 12 years ago | Reply

Govt. is planning to build Coal power Plants near Jamshoro. It is not advisable to build coal fired power plants close to river Indus. Coal fired power plants are by far the largest source of fly ash and mercury pollution falls into close by rivers where it builds up in fish. People who routinely eat mercury-polluted fish can suffer brain damage and nervous system disorders, particularly young children. Fly ash causes severe problems, like lowered crop yield, respiratory disorders in humans and livestock, and contamination of groundwater with toxic salts and metallic contents.

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