Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that power generation from Thar coal was the dream of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and need of the country for which the Sindh government has made untiring efforts. “I am happy that the dream of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto has come at the stage of realisation.”
He said this while presiding over a meeting regarding visit of Prime Minister Nawaz to perform groundbreaking ceremony of Thar coal power project at Thar Block-II on April 11.
The meeting was told that financial close of the project had been achieved on April 4. The funds worth $500 and another $1.5 billion were available to start the work on the project. The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) is going to establish its 660 MW coal-fired power plant at Thar coalfield. Once the project is completed, the expansion would be carried out by installing another 660 MW power plant.
It may be noted that the Sindh government is partner with SECMC in coal mining which would be completed by the end of 2018. “It would be a great breakthrough in the history of province,” the chief minister said, adding that it was former prime minister Benazir Bhutto who had brought a Hong Kong-based company to Thar coal-field to make feasibility of coal fields, start mining and power generation at coalfield at KT Bander.
He said had project been allowed to complete Pakistan would have been exporting electricity to neighbouring countries. “Sorry to say, the project was scrapped on political grounds,” the chief alleged. Now the Sindh government would extend all possible support to the federal government to complete this project in the supreme national interest, he added.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah thanked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for taking his interest in Thar coal. “The prime minister had made a commitment on his request that Thar coal would be used in all the coal-based power plants in the country,” he said. “It is Thar coal which can provide power to the entire country for unlimited time if it is utilised for the purpose with sincerity and commitment,” the chief minister opined.
He said that security of the Chinese engineers was most important for which necessary measures as approved by him must be taken immediately. On this occasion, Sindh IG AD Khwaja told the chief minister that recruitment process of 2000 ex-army men for the security of CPEC projects was in progress. “We would ensure their security as per commitment of the government,” he assured.
Good news, at least Angro is going to start real removal of over burden and then extraction of coal. it will clear the way for other companies as well. Good luck
Comments are closed.