The government has allocated Rs 950 million for the construction of a transmission network from Thar to Matiari and UCG Block-V, 8-10 MW pilot project led by Dr Samar Mubarakmand during the current fiscal year 2013-14. According to official sources, a sum of Rs 50 million was earmarked for the construction of transmission network and Rs 900 million for the pilot project.
They said the transmission project would cost Rs 22 billion while the total cost of the pilot project was estimated at Rs 1.8 billion.
The sources said the Sindh government was also actively working on the coal mining development for power generation based on the Thar Coal. It had already issued three leases to mine developers in Thar, they added.
Giving details, they said that as per the planned timeliness, the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) was planning to initiate mining activity early 2014 and it would take 3.5 years to reach coal production stage. The SECMC planned to generate power based Thar coal in 2017-18, they added.
The sources said that other lease holders, M/s Sino Sindh Resources Limited and M/s Oracle Coalfields Pvt Ltd had plans to initiate mining activity in Block-I and VI during 2014.