Thar coal project to start generation in 3 years

[LRE]

Thar coal project to start generation in 3 years

By Amar Guriro

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Water & Power Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the Thar coal project will start generating power within the next three to four years.

“The power crisis has become severe in the country and we have much lower power generating capacity than the actual requirement and increasing oil prices have worsened the situation,” said Ashraf. “So we need to start using the 175 billion ton-reserves of Thar coal immediately to produce affordable power.” He said the country will need 16,000 MW by 2016 and the government has invited international companies to invest in the project and hopes that the Thar coal project will begin generating power within the next three to four years.

Addressing a press briefing after attending a meeting of the Thar Coal & Energy Board, he said that a heavy investment of US$30 million is needed to generate the 16,000 MW required and the Pakistan government will pay US$ 10 million and the private sector will be invited to invest the rest.

“An airport and a hotel will be constructed at the coal site in Thar, so that foreign investors may reach the site directly and stay there,” he said, adding that by using coal for power generation Pakistan will save the huge amounts being spent on oil purchases.

Currently, Pakistan is generating 33 percent of the power it uses from oil. The federal minister said that most of the large infrastructure is already built on site and after investments are made, power generation will begin.

“Without playing the blame game, I hold the former government responsible for the recent power crisis in the country because it was its failure to plan which is the cause of the current crisis. It took no initiatives in the last eight years on any mega projects to generate power in the country, but we have started working on power generation on an emergency basis,” said Ashraf. Quoting the recent international conference on Thar coal held in Washington, he said that the UK, USA, Italy, Japan and other countries have expressed interest in investing in the Thar cal project.

The Thar Coal & Energy Board has constituted a four-member evaluation committee to review and evaluate all matters related to mining and power generation at the Thar coal site. The members are Thar Coal & Energy Board MD Aslam Sanjrani, Thar Coal & Energy Board Member Syed Asad Ali Shah, Federal Secretary for Water & Power Ismail Qureshi and Sindh Secretary for Minerals and Mines Yunis Dhaga. The committee will look after all the matters related to mining and power generation.

Talking about load shedding in the country, Ashraf claimed that load shedding will be ended completely by next year (2009). “There will no load shedding at all from 2009 as we have made agreements with Iran and other central Asian countries to import 1,100 MW and besides this, the first wind mill will be installed in Jhimpir, district Thatta, within the next 3 weeks to produce 600 MW,” he said.

He disclosed that within a few days, the top management of the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation (KESC) will be changed, as despite clear instruction, KESC has failed to control the power crisis in the city.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said that the government is planning to develop of the area and other projects will also be started soon.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg12_3