Thar coal-based power project: PPIB board grants extension in financial closing dates

The Board of Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB), headed by Minister for Power Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, granted extension in financial closing dates of 1320MW Thar coal-based power project at Thar Block-I and 700MW Azad Pattan hydropower project. The Board also allowed provision of revolving account facility for +660 kV HVDC Matiari-Lahore HVDC Transmission Line Project as was provided for power generation projects under the CPEC Agreement.
Addressing the 116th Board meeting which was also attended by "unauthorized" officials, the minister for power who purportedly dislikes the incumbent Managing Director Shah Jahan Mirza, announced that 1230MW RLNG based Power Project at Haveli Bahadur Shah has started generating power which has the world's highest plant efficiency rate of 62.5% which is a great achievement of the current government.
The commercial operation of the project is delayed due to controversy on insurance of the project between the project company and Commerce Division. However, as the project acquired insurance after seeking permission from PPRA, it started generation.
The minister said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has greatly served Pakistan in securing self-reliance in power sector while its full-scale implementation would deliver fruitful results in every nook and corner of the country. He said, "After controlling blackouts, we have come out of crisis mode and now the prime focus remains on attaining energy security."
"Our end dream is to ensure affordability in arranging future capacity additions for which hydro, coal, solar and wind assets are particularly vital which are abundantly available across the country and enough to provide round-the-clock power supply for a long time," the minister said.
Managing Director PPIB Shah Jahan Mirza said that PPIB has so far handled the CPEC energy program of the GoP successfully and has already delivered success stories by declaring CODs of 1320MW Sahiwal and 1320MW Port Qasim coal based power projects while majority of projects are either under construction or under financial closing stages.
The meeting's main focus was on Thar coal mining and power generation projects being set up in the downtrodden Tharparkar which is emerging as energy capital of Pakistan. The Board granted guidance and a way forward leading to their smooth, quick and effective implementation.
The Board agreed to allow extensions in financial closing dates of 1320MW Thar coal based power project at Thar Block-I by Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Company Limited and 700MW Azad Pattan hydropower project at River Jhelum on the dual boundary of district Rawalpindi, Punjab, and District Sudhnoti, AJ&K. The Board also allowed provision of revolving account facility for +660 kV HVDC Matiari-Lahore HVDC Transmission Line Project as was provided for power generation projects under the CPEC agreement.