UK firm to generate 300 megawatts power from Thar coal

[LahoreEstate]

KARACHI (January 29 2009): A British company will install a Mines Mouth Power Plant at Block 6 of Thar Coal to generate 300-megawatt electricity by 2012, officials told Business Recorder on Wednesday. Initially, the firm, M/s Oracle Coal Fields PLC will invest $400 million for generation of 300-megawatts.

The power generating capacity will be enhanced upto 1200 megawatts in the second phase, they added. In this connection, they said that the firm would prepare the feasibility report of the plant within six months, prior to undertaking the mining at the marked block.

"The British company has confirmed coal reservoirs of 1.4 billion tons at block 6 of Thar Coal. The firm could expand the project capacity if the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and the National Electricity and Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) fix viable buying rates," they elaborated.

The officials said that the same (British) firm would start mining of 29 wells at the site, while two more blocks will also be handed over to other interested companies in near future. They said that a five-member delegation of the firm, comprising Dr Larey Thomas, Anthony Scuff, Micheal Strake, Shahrukh and Shafiq Khan met the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah last Monday and apprised him about the project.

The delegation left for the site yesterday (Tuesday) on a three-day visit of the site, the officials said. To a question about the recruitment of locals, they said that the firm has assured the chief minister of giving priority to the area people in recruitment.

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