Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said that 1,320-MW of coal-fired energy has been added to the national grid during the current month and another 660-MW would be added next year. He was presiding over a board meeting of Thar Coal Energy at his official residence in Sindh. Provincial Minister for Energy Imtiaz Shaikh briefed the Chief Minister on the CPEC project Sino-Sindh Resources (SSR) and said that it started the coal excavation work under Block-I in January, 2022.

He said that SSR has already completed 99% of the work to excavate 7.8 mtpa coal by December 31, 2022, adding that SECM is working on plans to expand the mine from 7.6 mtpa to a 12.2 mtpa mine. Further he informed that the Power Engineering Company has already installed 660-MW of coal-fired power plants with an investment of USD2 billion. He said that the projects were included in the national grid on December 2 and 11, 2022, respectively.

He continued, “Lucky Electric Power has started work on a 660-MW power plant for which it will be supplied with 3.6 mtpa coal. It will start commercial operations in 2024.”  Thar Energy has already synchronized its 330-MW coal-fired power plant with the national Grid in October 2022 and another 330-MW would start commercial operations by 2023. The meeting was attended by Minister Education Syed Sardar Shah; Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh; Advisor to the CM on Law Murtaza Wahab; Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput; PSCM, Fayaz Jatoi; DG of Coal Authority Khadim Channa and others through video link.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk