LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday the government would set up 10 coal-fired power plants of 150 megawatt each with foreign investment.
He was addressing a meeting between Chinese investors and a Pakistani delegation in Beijing.
The chief minister said that in the first phase, imported coal would be used to generate electricity at the power plants. Indigenous coal would be used in the second phase, he said.
Sharif said coal-based power plants had been given priority in agreements signed between Pakistan and China.
“Governments in the past did not give any attention on producing electricity using coal. The incumbent government has devised a comprehensive strategy to generate electricity through alternative sources,” he said.
The chief minister said coal-fired power plants would be supercritical and environment-friendly. These would provide affordable electricity to people, he said.
He said modern mining of indigenous coal would be carried out with the cooperation of China.
He said the Chinese president had postponed his visit to Pakistan owing to sit-ins in Islamabad.
“Such agitation will not affect Pakistan-China friendship,” he said.
Sharif said 19 new agreements for cooperation in several fields were being signed with China. “The agreements reflect the Chinese leadership’s confidence in the Pakistani leadership,” he said.
The chief minister said efforts would be made to translate the agreements into reality. “Quality, speed and transparency will be the hallmark of all development projects,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2014.
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Greenhouse gas emissions. It cannot be denied that coal leaves behind harmful byproducts upon combustion. These byproducts cause a lot of pollution and contribute to global warming. The increased carbon emissions brought about by coal fired plants has led to further global warming which results in climate changes.
Mining destruction. Mining of coal not only results in the destruction of habitat and scenery, but it also displaces humans as well. In many countries where coal is actively mined, many people are displaced in huge numbers due to the pitting of the earth brought about by underground mining. Places near coal mines are unsafe for human habitation as the land could cave in at anytime.
Generation of millions of tons of waste. Millions of tons of waste products which can no longer be reused are generated from coal fired plants. Aside from the fact that these waste products contribute to waste disposal problems, these also contain harmful substances.
Emission of harmful substances. Thermal plants like coal fired plants emit harmful substances to the environment. These include mercury, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, mercury, selenium, and arsenic. These harmful substances not only cause acid rain but also are very harmful to humans as well.
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