Underground Coal Gasification: To launch its first power plant in Thar
Sindh has allotted Block-5 of Thar coal to UCG
KARACHI:
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), taking the lead in producing electricity on coal gas energy, is going to launch its first power plant in Thar in April 2015.
Talking to the media in Karachi, UCG Managing Director Dr Mohammad Shabir, at the project site near Islamkot on Saturday. Under the scheme, the Sindh government has allotted Block-5 of Thar Coal field to UCG led by Dr Samar Mubarak Mand to generate underground coal gas known as Syn gas to produce electricity. Dr Shabir said the project started in 2009 but due to problems in releasing the required funds the project could not take off in time.
“Uderground coal gasification was a new project, therefore it attracted wide criticism. But we did not succumb to pressure and continued our efforts.” “In the first phase, an experimental structure is raised under which pipes are drilled down 160 metres deep into the coalfield to reach the coal bed. After pumping out underground water lying near coal bed fired the coal underground and produced coal gas. The gas was supplied to the experimental plant and lit the flame.”
Dr Shabir recalled that in the original scheme under the UCG, 100MW power plant was to be installed at a cost of Rs9,000 million but the government fell short of funds and it was decided to launch a pilot project of 10MW capacity. He added a Chinese team would arrive in March to start the turbines imported from China.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2014.
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), taking the lead in producing electricity on coal gas energy, is going to launch its first power plant in Thar in April 2015.
Talking to the media in Karachi, UCG Managing Director Dr Mohammad Shabir, at the project site near Islamkot on Saturday. Under the scheme, the Sindh government has allotted Block-5 of Thar Coal field to UCG led by Dr Samar Mubarak Mand to generate underground coal gas known as Syn gas to produce electricity. Dr Shabir said the project started in 2009 but due to problems in releasing the required funds the project could not take off in time.
“Uderground coal gasification was a new project, therefore it attracted wide criticism. But we did not succumb to pressure and continued our efforts.” “In the first phase, an experimental structure is raised under which pipes are drilled down 160 metres deep into the coalfield to reach the coal bed. After pumping out underground water lying near coal bed fired the coal underground and produced coal gas. The gas was supplied to the experimental plant and lit the flame.”
Dr Shabir recalled that in the original scheme under the UCG, 100MW power plant was to be installed at a cost of Rs9,000 million but the government fell short of funds and it was decided to launch a pilot project of 10MW capacity. He added a Chinese team would arrive in March to start the turbines imported from China.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2014.